Rock and Stripes
by DaManWOFear
Summary: One is from America. The other is from the Otherworld. One is a Super Soldier. The other is a young lone warrior. One who is a star who fights for freedom and liberty. The other is a star who gives hope. But the two will share one destiny.
1. The StarSpangled Avenger Goes to Japan

**Author's Note**: Hi everyone! This is my first BRS fanfiction and yet my first crossover story. It all started last year, where I've watched the Black Rock Shooter OVA and it caught my interest. I have also watched Captain America: The First Avenger and it revived my interest on the character and the Marvel Universe of course, thanks to their movies. So I wanted to make this because they are a good combination if you ask me.

Black Rock Shooter belongs to Huke.

Captain America belongs to Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, and Marvel Entertainment.

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><p><strong><em>Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York<em>**

Even New York is one of the finest cities in the world; the neighborhood of Red Hook in Brooklyn is like a place with a simple atmosphere. There are many houses and apartments, but in one building, there lived a man whose name is Steve Rogers. He has blond hair, an able-bodied man, and he also wore a white shirt and blue pants. He finished his training regimen after he ate breakfast.

Suddenly, a phone rang and Steve grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"Captain Rogers, you need to get to the Hellicarrier. We have some work to do." A voice told him.

"You called early, Nick. But what's the fuss?" Steve asked the man who is none other than Director Nick Fury.

"Steve, you have to come here at approximately 0010 hours. You'll find out sooner or later."

"Thanks Nick. Got it."

Steve didn't waste time. He is donning his special costume, wearing a red, white, and blue with a helmet and a cowl. The outfit is very awesome to see for everyone: the red, white and blue scheme with a star on his chest seems like a variation of the American flag and the head of his cowl sports the letter 'A' on it. And he also took his round metal shield, also sporting the same colors with a star at the center.

And he's off to go. Rogers went to the rooftop of his home. He started to run and jump from building to building. Steve Rogers, also popularly known as Captain America, started his life as a hero during the days of World War II. A frail, weak man, Steve Rogers wanted to enlist in the Army despite of his condition. But something has changed his life forever: a German scientist named Dr. Abraham Erskine and the Scientific Strategic Reserve (SSR) conducted a project called 'Operation Rebirth', in order to create the perfect soldier who would help them lead in victory. Rogers was selected because Erskine saw his determination and what's inside of him: he had great courage and at the same time, a good heart.

Using the Super Solider serum, along with the perfect Vita-Ray component, the once frail, skinny Steve Rogers turned into a man with a body beyond the peak of human condition, giving him superhuman strength, agility, making him America's first super soldier. As Captain America, not only he holds various firearms but he also had a round shield made from vibranium, the rarest metal in the world. That makes his shield unbreakable. He also leads his troops and even an elite unit, the Howling Commandos, against German soldiers and HYDRA agents, including his arch nemesis, the Red Skull and his associates. The Red Skull disappeared after he uses the Cosmic Cube and the plane crashed in the Arctic. Through the freezing temperatures he went into suspended animation. And after 70 years, he woke up from his slumber with the help of the organization named S.H.I.E.L.D. and its head, Director Nicholas Fury. After his revival, he became a field leader of the superhero team "The Avengers". He was given wider respect from his friends and even his enemies due to being a master fighter and a man with great courage. And yet, he still continues to fight as man who stands for the 'Dream".

As he keeps on running, he saw a flying car coming; the one who is driving is Sharon Carter. He jumped off and entered the car. Good thing that Steve landed safely and they still are heading to their destination.

"You still jumped high, Steve." Sharon remarked.

"Good thing that you picked me up, Sharon. Nick just called me. It seems urgent." Steve told her.

"All right, next stop is the S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier. Estimated time at 15 minutes. Steady as she goes." Sharon said.

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><p><strong><em>S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier<em>**

**_New York Airspace_**

They were in the Briefing Room to discuss about the mission. Sharon, Steve and even Nick Fury are present. The whole room is filled with computers and other high-tech stuff, monitoring the whole city of New York and other parts of the world. It is really fascinating because S.H.I.E.L.D. not only deals with international threats but also from cosmic and unknown entities. And that's why they need a team like the Avengers. But for Steve, he felt that it was a solo mission and Sharon Carter will be part of it. He is also relieved because Sharon is also his lover. And he will need his Captain America costume for his mission.

Nick Fury is also a prominent figure. He is a bald, African-American man who wears an eyepatch in his left eye. Not only he was a former soldier but he is also an expert in espionage and counter-espionage, making him director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the US government's espionage and military law-enforcement agency. Not only it deals with terrorists and other threats, but also superhuman and cosmic threats. Through S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury made his idea of a 'superhero boy band' a reality; he successfully gathered a group of remarkable people: a WWII legend, a billionaire genius who wears an armor suit, a Norse god, a scientist who have anger management issues, and two assassins. Despite their differences, these people are working together to fight against a common threat. And they were known as Earth's Mightiest Heroes, "The Avengers."

Director Fury began the conversation and the details of the mission. "Good thing that you're here, Cap. It's not even an Avengers mission so it's fine that you'll bring Sharon in." Nick said.

"Ok, sir." Steve responded.

"Now here it is: we detected an enemy presence in the western part of Asia. It seems it was HYDRA and they're up to something. I just want you and Sharon to find out what it is. And it seems they're located in Japan."

"Well, it seems good to me. I know that HYDRA is everywhere and maybe they're gonna strike everywhere either." Steve replied.

But Sharon asked Steve. "What will the Japanese people react on wearing that costume? I think there are still anti-American sentiments due to the US bases in Okinawa. Sorry, but I'm little worried."

Steve didn't even bother. "I think it's still safe to wear this suit when we are in Japan. Don't you remember, Sharon? I'm not loyal to anything or even in America. I'm only loyal to the 'dream.' I still fight for freedom. I still fight for everyone. And it doesn't matter to me on what will people say." He turned to Sharon and he smiled. "The very important thing is you always do what's right. No matter where you came from or who you are."

Because of Steve's words, all of Sharon's worries are all gone. What she liked about Steve is that even he has his inner struggles and regardless of the circumstances, he is also a man of confidence and he will never back down. That's why many looked on Captain America for inspiration. Who would thought that someone like him, a good man and a super soldier, will gain the attention of common people, leaders, politicians, fellow heroes, and even gods and cosmic entities? Captain America wasn't just a hero but also a living legend.

"So, you ready?" he asked, making Sharon snapped back into reality. "Y-yeah, thanks." Sharon said.

"All right, Cap. Good luck." Nick Fury said to them, hoping that the mission will get done.

Sharon and Steve left the briefing room of the Hellicarrier. As they packed their things, they went to the outside vicinity of the Hellicarrier and the two went to the Quinjet, one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most advanced fighter aircraft who horsepower and speed can take.

"Steve, I think this will be your first visit in Japan since World War II."

"My last visit in Japan is where I fought the Japanese soldiers in Hokkaido, who were also HYDRA agents. I know this will different because after all, the world has changed." Steve told Sharon, who is also the niece of Peggy Carter.

Sharon knows this and replied. "Maybe you're right." Then Sharon prepared the Quinjet controls, activating it. "All systems clear. Destination: Tokyo."

The Quinjet revs up and it lifts up to the sky, due to being a V/STOL-esque structure. Its thrusters activated and the Quinjet sets its course.

"My last visit in Japan is where I fought the Japanese soldiers in Hokkaido, who were also HYDRA agents. I know this will different because after all, the world has changed." Steve told Sharon, who is also the niece of Peggy Carter.

Sharon knows this and replied. "Maybe you're right." Then Sharon prepared the Quinjet controls, activating it. "All systems clear. Destination: Tokyo."

The Quinjet revs up and it lifts up to the sky, due to being a V/STOL-esque structure. Its thrusters activated and the Quinjet sets its course.

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><p>And that's the end of Chapter 1. Hope you guys read and review. Next chapter is more BRS centric. Thanks and see you later.<p> 


	2. A RockShot Normal Life

Author's Note: Here is the 2nd chapter of the story. If the 1st chapter is centered on Cap, the 2nd one is centered on Black Rock Shooter as she lives a normal life the real world.

Honestly, I love BRS fanfiction that features Otherworld characters who lived normal lives, or walk and fight in the real world or even all three of those points as opposed to the OVA and the TV anime. So credit to guys like** TrailblazingArtist**, **Fate Nightmare**, & **Josuwa** for such amazing ideas. Not only I'm going to put elements of the mainstream and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but also to add characters from the BRS anime and other OC characters in the upcoming chapters, too. Now ladies and gentlemen, I present you chapter 2 of Rock and Stripes!

Black Rock Shooter and co. belongs to Huke.

Captain America belongs to Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and Marvel Entertainment.

I don't own the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its properties.

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><p><em><strong>Tokyo, Japan<strong>_

It was one sweet morning in Tokyo. Still, many people are preparing themselves on what they're going to do. Most adults are waking up in the morning for their own jobs in order to make a living. But for those who were studying at school, the weekends are a good time for them. They can spend their time for fun with family and friends. Most are doing the chores and even there are guys and girls who want to spend time with their studies.

But in one who resides in a simple apartment, there lives a teenage girl. To many, she's ordinary. But for some, especially her friends, she was very special. She was under the human name of Hoshioka Kuroi. She was called names like 'Rock' & 'Stella' by none other than a girl named Mato Kuroi but deep down; she was also known to her friends as the lone warrior from a dimension called the 'Otherworld', Black Rock Shooter.

Everything in her changed her life when she went in the real world. She met Mato Kuroi, who even looks like her. Through Mato, Black Rock Shooter learned how to live a normal life: going to school, having a home, and even socializing with others. She and Dead Master, who also lived a normal life with Mato's best friend Yomi Takanashi, have a love-hate relationship, even though they fought in the Otherworld. And sometimes, when someone is in danger, she never hesitated to help other people. Mato was happy because not only she has Yomi but also 2 girls from the Otherworld. Even Black Rock Shooter herself is also happy on the inside because after days and days of fighting in her own world, she finally experienced what peace is all about.

She was in the bedroom, sleeping. The rays of the sun shone on her and it opened her eyes. When she stepped into the real world for the first time, she was in awe when the first time she saw the sun: it was warm, golden, pretty, and beautiful. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, stretched her arms and got off on her bed. She walked a couple of steps to the window and she opened it. She saw the morning sun again and she smiled, having the warm feeling from it. She closed the window to do her thing: took a bath, changing her clothes, brushing her teeth, went downstairs to play rock music on the stereo, and eat her breakfast. Anyhow, she is wearing a blue t-shirt, a white hoodie jacket, blue jeans and a pair of Nike shoes with a white and blue color scheme. Good thing that she had an amount of food in her fridge and thanks to Mato and Yomi, she learned how to cook her own meals.

"Nah, I'm gonna save this for dinner." BRS thought to herself, after looking on the fridge.

She packed her things and she carried her backpack. She turned and she saw her acoustic guitar, which is a gift from a friend, who is also a rock music lover like her. She took a deep breath and she went her way to the door. She went out of her apartment, locked the doors, and she's on her way to her workplace; she works part time as assistant trainer in a high school basketball team. Also thanks to Mato, she also learned basketball by watching NBA games and she also played baketball during pastime, mostly with Mato, and grew love to it. Before going, she turned and good thing that she had her scooter; she thought that she can run fast and jump off from building to building like she always did in the Otherworld, but she decided to ride on her scooter instead because it's also fun. She never hesitated to ride on, wears her safety helmet, starts the engines and she went on her way.

Fifteen minutes have passed and despite of the traffic, she made it to the school. She went off and packed her safety helmet inside the scooter. She went into the locker room and she changed her clothes until she met a woman in a PE uniform.

"Morning, Ms. Shizuka." BRS greeted her.

"Hi there, Shooter. Seems you're ready for today's routine?" she also greeted back.

Shizuka is the coach of the school's high school female basketball team. She had long brown hair tied in a ponytail and indigo eyes. She's also physically fit for a woman in her twenties since she is also one of the best female basketball players back in her college days. She graduated with full honors and she took her job as a coach of a high school basketball team. She met BRS when she was saved by a monster. Mato introduced BRS to Shizuka and the coach saw the two play one-on-one. She saw BRS's skill and she was both surprised and amazed that she can learn a short period of time and play better. After she played a few games, BRS received a part time job under Shizuka's coaching staff. She also one of the few, aside from Mato and Yomi, that she also came from the Otherworld.

"Yep. I'm a-ok! Hey, wait a minute, you should call me-"

"Yeah, yeah, you alias is Hoshioka, I know that." Shizuka chuckled. "But you know what, that name really suits you. You came from the Otherworld but you're like the brightest star than shines in the dark."

"Oh come on, don't be such a wanker, Coach. I may be but living a normal life in the real world is different." BRS told her.

Shizuka smiled and said, "You know, despite of who you are, I believe Mato have seen something on you: you're a kind person and you have a good heart. I know that you can change the hearts of many because of what's inside you. Again, thanks for saving me back then."

BRS remembered the time when she and Mato encountered a mysterious creature and Shizuka was in danger back then and how they put Shizuka to safety. BRS can't help but to cheerfully smile on her, "Don't mention it. Honestly speaking, it really feels good when you're doing the right thing."

"All right, Hoshioka. Let's get going. The kids are waiting for us."

"Yes, coach!" BRS exclaimed. She turned to Shizuka and said, "And by the way, you should call on my real name if we're alone, ok?"

Then Shizuka nodded. And the two were headed into the gymnasium to begin their training session with the players.

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><p>The basketball practice is a good atmosphere but despite of it, it can be a place of preparation. Not just for the coaches, but also for the players. The screeching of the shoes, the drenching of sweat, the shouts from the instructors and the pants of fatigue are the one of the noises can be heard in the gymnasium. As the head coach, Shizuka is the one who sees the players do their own job: on how to hones their skills play better as preparation for the next game. And then she saw BRS teaching as well observing one player who is on a shooting practice. When the ponytailed girl from the Otherworld saw her error, she stepped up and told the player, "You can't even make a good jump shot if you're shooting routine is like that."<p>

The player, while panting, said "I've just tried but I can't even make it, Coach. I dunno why."

"It's because of your hands." BRS said

"Wha?"

BRS chuckled. Then she began to explain. "You can use that hand routine if you want to make a short range shot or near the basket. But it won't work if you want to shoot far away from the basket." She handed the ball from the player.

"Just look at my hands." The player nodded as she watches BRS's demonstration. "You should not put your right hand on the right side of the ball. You should put it under the while your right hand is on the right side. Then you bend and bring your elbow up until it is aligned with the hoop, and finally, you jump and send towards the hoop in a high arc. Alright, let me show you."

BRS did what and the player keeps her eyes on her assistant coach. And seconds later, she made a perfect jumpshot. The player can't help but to clap in applause since she was surprised that someone in her age can even teach her.

BRS noticed this and said to the player. "Hey, are you still gonna clap your hands or you're going to shoot the ball?"

The player snapped back and replied, "Y-yes, Coach!"

She mingled her thoughts on the jumpshot demonstrated by BRS. Thanks to her observation moments ago, she studied it very well. She also said to herself, _"I can do this."_ Then she proceeds and makes a jumpshot. And good thing is she made it. BRS formed a smile on her lips, satisfied on the player's performance. The player sees this and she jumped with her both fists rising upward and exclaimed.

"I did it!"

BRS chuckled and she made a positive remark. "Yep. You just did well. Just keep on practicing and you can be a good shooter. But even, you missed a shot with that routine, that's ok because the important thing is: make every shot count. Understood?"

"Loud and clear, Coach!" the player exclaimed.

Shizuka noticed the noise and she saw the two. She looked not only on her but also BRS as well. She is impressed not only because of the player's progress of improving but also BRS's way of teaching the players. Her character, determination, and personality are the very reasons why the head coach wanted her to be part of her staff. She gave a small smile because she was happy on what she saw.

All of sudden, the team captain called the players with two claps. "Alright, gather up, girls!"

The players immediately assembled in rows. The team captain began to speak.

"Listen up. We got 5 more days ahead of our exhibition game against Nagano. Honestly, you girls did a good work today. Just remember your routines and don't over fatigue yourselves. You need to get rest. That's it for today."

After this, the team members were relieved. Most of them were relieved because they had allowed them to go on their homes and need to rest. Some of them had their other errands to do and so on. Afterwards, Shizuka and BRS went to their locker rooms, took a shower and changing their clothes.

"Well, good thing on that young 'un." Shizuka commented. "She can be a good shooter if she keeps it up."

BRS chuckled. "She's going to have a long way."

"Oh yes, she has." Shizuka said. "By the way, just wanna ask. Why are you called Black Rock Shooter?"

BRS gave Shizuka a puzzled look.

"I mean, do you have any other names beside of that? I'm just getting puzzled. After all, the name 'Hoshioka Kuroi' is just an alias but what is weird is you REALLY looked like Mato. And you know what? I like it because it seems that you two are sisters, not to mention Yomi and Dead Master."

BRS blushed in embarrassment. "W-well, I, a-ah, uhh…." She finally answered Shizuka's question with a sigh. "Honestly, I don't even know."

Shizuka quirked an eyebrow on her answer. But instead, she sighed and smiled. "You're actually mysterious, Shooter. But let me guess about on… why you're named like that. Maybe because of that big cannon of yours, using it to shoot bad guys and monsters? Or that azure flame that burns in your eye while you're fighting? Maybe both… or something more…?"

There is a moment of silence. BRS managed to break it. "While living in the Otherworld, all I do is to keep on fighting. And I'm also connected with Mato as an 'Other Self'. But that is all I do and nothing else. Good thing that me and others have a chance to live in the real world. Mato, Yomi, and Yu. I have never seen such people like them."

BRS said those words from the bottom of her heart. Because of those three humans, BRS and her close friends, DM and STR, learned the value of human life and what it means to have normal lives also. After they bound together to stop a looming threat, everything around them has changed when they get that opportunity. Fortunately, for BRS, it happened.

Then Shizuka replied. "Shooter, I know you're a loner at first but the reason why you have friends, including Mato, is because of who you are inside. By the way, have you ever seen a 'shooting star'?"

BRS, without second thoughts, answered. "Yeah. I've finally seen stars when I was with Mato. And you know, they're beautiful. But a shooting star? Not yet."

"Stars are beautiful, yes. A shooting star, on the other hand, is a name for the visible path of a meteoroid, which is a rock from outer space, as it enters the Earth's atmosphere to become a meteor."

"Wait a minute." BRS objected. "You said that shooting stars are meteors then why it has something to do with stars?" She was even confused.

Shizuka smiled and said. "For us humans, the term can be also special. When I saw one, I clasped my hands and make a wish." Shizuka chuckled.

BRS nodded, remembering her conversation with Mato about the topic. And she fully realized what that is all about.

So she asked Shizuka again. "If I can make a wish, will it come true?"

Shizuka chuckled again. "I'm not in the position to say that. To be honest, the answer is maybe yes or no. But the only thing to make it true is… to believe. You know, for me and Mato, you're like a shooting star because to us, you're so special. And maybe through you, the dreams of those who love you and close to you can be a reality. That's all I can say."

BRS can't help herself but chuckled even though she didn't understand some of it. "Sometimes, I don't get it." Shizuka quirked her eyebrow again.

"But you know, about what you've said, it really soothes me inside. Honestly, we can make our dreams come true not just to make a wish but even, well, work hard for it. That is all I know either."

Shizuka smiled and patted BRS in the back. "Hehe, if you want to make your dreams come true, you have to believe. If you're going to fight, not only you need strength and power, but you also need to believe." Something clicked on her mind. "Hey, you're going to meet with Mato and company, right? Good thing that we have a half-day schedule."

Surprised that Shizuka informed her, BRS remembered something. "Oh yeah, I'm going to meet up with Mato. Yomi will also be there and-"

"You 2 Otherworldly friends?"

BRS sighed and smiled, "Yeah right. And our meeting place is at the park. I'm off to go now"

She began to take her nag and left but suddenly, "Hey, Rock-chan!" And BRS turned.

"Here, take this." Shizuka tossed an envelope to BRS and when the ponytailed girl caught and opened it, it was lots of a thousand yen bills.

"You're gonna need that in order to sustain yourself."

"Thanks. See ya." BRS said.

"Be careful." Shizuka waved.

As BRS went to the hallway, she made it out of the gymnasium building and went to the parking lot, where she parked her scooter. She revved it and went out of the school vicinity.

She thought. _"I wonder what Mato and the others are doing. I just hope that I can make it."_

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><p><em><strong>Shibuya District, Tokyo<strong>_

He had finally come to Japan after his flight. He visited Japan many times, but for Steve Rogers, Japan has changed from time to time. He knew that they were part of the Axis powers during World War II and the Allies used the atomic bomb, the world's most destructive weapon ever. But the painful decision has a purpose: to end the war and to save the Japanese from themselves since they were under a militarist dictatorship under General Hideki Tojo. And thanks to the help of General Douglas McArthur, Japan rose from the ashes of war and became an economic, industrial, and technological superpower in Asia. Steve also knew that his old friend James 'Logan' Helwitt, also known as the mutant and X-Men member Wolverine also visited Japan to find a path for himself since he also suffered from amnesia during that time. He and Sharon stayed in a safehouse prepared by a S.H.I.E.L.D. sleeper agent. As they prepare the tools for their mission, Steve said to Sharon that he'll take a walk for a moment. He left and went on his way.

He is also thinking of the mission: What will HYDRA do in country like this? No matter what country or nationality, it's his job to stop them and protect the lives of innocent people. As he keeps on walking, he was suddenly bumped by a schoolgirl, who was short and was like 15 years of age. She has blue eyes, black hair, and a short ponytail. And as Steve sees it, she is in a hurry and her bag was on the ground.

"Oh! Sorry, mister. I'm such in a hurry!" The girl hesitantly told the American in Nihonggo.

"H-hey, that ok. Are you alright?" Steve also spoke to her in Nihonggo, picking up her bag.

The girl was surprised that the foreigner can speak the Japanese language fluently. She snapped her stupor and replied. "Y-yes! But sorry, I have to go!" The girl said again in a hesitant way.

But Steve rushed in. "Wait!" The girl turned to Steve as the foreigner gave the bag to her. She was grateful that a foreigner helped her. Without further ado, she bowed down, "Thank you very much, sir!" And then she continued to run. Steve can't help but a small smile formed in his lips. _"I've never seen a girl that is so lively. Honestly, it seems she is special anyway." _He thought.

And he keeps on walking.

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><p>End of Chapter 2.<p>

So we see not only BRS's new life but also Dead Master as well. Steve Rogers finally arrived in Japan and who's the girl who bumped on him? Chapter 3 is up next so I'll keep on writing. Read and review.

So later, peeps!


	3. The Serpent Lurks

**Author's Note:** This is a very short chapter, consisting of 863 words. But that's okay since the main focus on this chapter is HYDRA, the main villains of this story. On the other hand, I'm planning to add elements from the Innocent Soul manga for my other future projects. And there is also another OC character included in this story. So without further ado, here is chapter 3. And thanks to those who read and review!

Black Rock Shooter belongs to Huke

HYDRA is the property of Marvel Entertainment and it was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

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><p><em><strong>Somewhere in the woods near Nagano<strong>_

A truck is moving around in the deep forest near Nagano. The truck seems futuristic in design and it has a green color and scheme. Also noticeable about the truck that it has a logo with skull with a number of tentacles. The truck reached in the vicinity of a mountain. When the truck is near on the bedrock, it opened and it reveals a tunnel. The truck keeps on moving as it goes to the tunnel. In a few minutes, they enter into a facility inside the mountain itself.

It was none other than HYDRA's Japanese base. The whole place is also full of soldiers in green clothing marching around. Most of the weaponry and equipment are equally advanced that even it can also match S.H.I.E.L.D.'s arsenal and technology. Not just weaponry but also vehicles like tanks, cycles, cars, walking mechanical units, and even aircraft. Good thing that there are superheroes like Captain America and his fellow Avengers to stop their plans. But HYDRA has a strict code of loyalty to its goals and principles. Because of this, they were also known for their resilience. 'Cut off one head, two more will take its place!' is their motto and their target is everywhere: every part of the globe. Through this, the organization is also known as dangerous and to be feared. At first, it was a Nazi science division during World War II, headed by the Red Skull. HYDRA went rogue and plans to take over the world yet it was foiled by Captain America and the members of the SSR. But HYDRA resurfaced again under the leadership of Baron von Strucker. Even the Red Skull returned as the Supreme Head, von Strucker is still a formidable figure

At the upper part of the cave lies a room. That is also HYDRA's Command Control Room with lots of monitors around and a communications crew. On the platform, there was a woman standing. She has long violet hear and orange eyes and wears a green outfit and she seems in her late teens under the age of 18. Seemingly, she had a conversation to a mysterious man on the big screen.

"How is it going well, Chief Yuuka?" the mysterious man began the conversation.

"The preparations are complete, Mein Herr. We are entering the Phase Two of our operation." Yuuka answered.

The mysterious man still has his serious look but then he grinned a bit. "Impressive. I never made a mistake on choosing you, Yuuka Shinzo. You're not only an expert assassin at your age but you're also very intelligent. And I also appreciate your efforts."

Yuuka was amused on the mysterious man's remark. "Thank you for your kind consideration. I also remember that HYDRA expanded in Japan during the days of World War II. You disappeared after you're holding the Tesseract in your encounter against Captain America back then. Then you've returned to take leadership of the organization once again after 70 years. Most interestingly, Baron Zemo and Baron Strucker also got your support since you've returned. It seems that Captain America is still a thorn on your side, Herr Schmidt."

The mysterious man, known as Schmidt, responded to Yuuka's informative remark with a smirk. "Zemo has nothing to do with my organization but on the contrary, he is also a close friend of mine and an ally. Strucker have strengthened HYDRA during my absence and I commend him on that. Let me tell you a short story: it all began during the days of the war. I was part of Hitler's inner circle and he gave me much support and I've founded this organization as a Nazi science division with me as its head. But we never lived in Hitler's shadow because I harness the power of the gods. Fantasy for me is real, and it does."

Yuuka gave Schmidt a devious smile. "But you also have superhuman strength due to the serum that Dr. Abraham Erskine gave you, making you much of a superior man, but something bad happened, right?"

The mysterious man stood in silence and never answered.

But Yuuka snapped and she continued. "Going back to the topic, the Final Phase will begin after 10 days, a little long enough yet sufficient. Our agents are roaming around across Tokyo and other cities in order to search valuable people to join our army."

"You're still on recruitment and the same time doing experiments and research. But the important thing is… you have to get it done. I will keep on monitoring on your progress." Schmidt assured.

"Thank you so much… Herr Skull." She bowed.

He smirked and said, "Very well, my dear." And the communication signal turned off.

Another call also came and it was opened by the operator. Yuuka answered the call. "What's your status?"

"It seems we've spotted her. A schoolgirl, she is 13 years of age, black short hair with blue eyes. Seemingly energetic."

"Can you send me the image?"

"Will do."

Then the image sent by the HYDRA agent appeared on the screen. After Yuuka sees this, she gave a malicious grin.

"Kuroi Mato…"

* * *

><p>Very short, yet it helps a lot. Because even HYDRA are the main villains, Yuuka Shinzo is up to something so I want to develop her. But the question is... what does she want to Mato?<p>

Chapter 4 is up next!

Read and review and see you later, peeps!


	4. Get Together in Danger

**Author's Note: **I'm back, ladies and gentlemen, last chapter was very short, but we got a glimpse on HYDRA and my OC character, Yuuka, who is also the main villain of this story. This chapter will see on how the 3 human schoolgirls and their Otherworld counterparts, but it will be action-packed and not only we will see Black Rock Shooter in action but we will also see Captain America's appearance. Oh yeah, I wanna make a tribute to **TrailblazingArtist **on Dead Master. So everyone, here is chapter 4. Please R&R!

Black Rock Shooter belongs to Huke.

Captain America belongs to Marvel Entertainment.

The Playstation 3 is a property of Sony Computer Entertainment.

I don't own the NBA and its properties. NBA 2K12 is a property of 2K Sports and Visual Concepts.

* * *

><p><em><strong>At the park in the district of Shibuya, Tokyo<strong>_

Mato keeps running at the outskirts of the city. She felt enthusiasm and eagerness and she needs to get there fast because her friends are waiting for her. Good thing today is the weekend so she can spend her time with her friends. She reached in to the park and she saw her 3 friends sitting in the bench waiting for her. As Mato is panting for air and takes a deep breath, she was glad that she saw them, and she can't help but to smile. Yomi was seen reading a book along with another girl who looks like her and also wears glasses. On the other hand, BRS was checking her cellphone.

"Sorry if I late!" Mato apologized.

BRS wanted to reply and she also smiled back. "That's ok, Mato. But what you took so long?" She inquired.

"Well, many things happened, ya know. At least I got my pocket money." Mato said. But she also wondered that there is something missing. "Uh, where are Yu and STR?"

Suddenly, Mato saw Yuu carrying a bag, revealing that she is from their school since she is also part of the basketball team. And following her is a light-dark, skinned girl who is about her height. She has white hair and orange eyes, just as the same as Yu's but more brighter and they were also ringed. She also wears an orange hoodie jacket where the hood part is also worn, black pants and a pair of white shoes.

"Wow, the gang's all here!" Yuu exclaimed. "Well, 3+3 equals one freakin' adventure! Am I right, STR?"

STR looked at Yu and she shrugged as a response.

Yuu frowned at STR and said with a sigh, "Oh come on, don't be such a killjoy. And can't you even speak a lot, could you? It's been 4 weeks and you're still like that since you decided to live in my house!"

STR turned on Yu and spoke in a monotone voice. "To be honest with you, I'm not bored. And I always respond to your parents, saying I should keep an eye of you. You do the math."

Yuu reacted. "Grr… would you mind! Don't just act as a bodyguard!" Again, STR shrugged. And Yuu frowned in annoyance.

Dead Master, while donning her glasses, chuckled as she began to inform Yu about STR's personality. "Patience, Yuu. Just be patient. STR is always like that. But in battle, she's dangerous."

Mato can't help but to see Dead Master, whose alias is Midori Sawada, smile but in a cheerful way. It was a month ago when the 3 Otherworlders went to the real world, but thanks to Mato, Yomi and Yu, they were spared from deep trouble. But unlike Black Rock Shooter who has managed to adjust easily, both Dead Master and STR had a hard time to adjust to the real world due to their some… otherworldly features; leading on using spells in order to be safe. DeadMaster lived in the Takanashi's home residence while STR lived in Yuu's home. But unlike the two, BRS had her own apartment and she always visits the Kuroi household and went playing basketball with Mato during pastime. She was seen as a sadist and a harbinger of death and destruction in the Otherworld, but it was all changed due to Mato and BRS. She realized that the real world is full of color and beauty, despite of the negative side of it.

But despite of that, she still acts as an aristocrat so sometimes, she's somewhat arrogant yet clumsy and a ditz, unlike Yomi. But she can't help but to smile and laugh because someone like Dead Master being a former entity of death in her world can be funny, yet kind and caring at the same time. If humans can change, then so can they.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go shopping!" Dead Master exclaimed.

Yomi saw this and thought to herself, smiling. _"Dead Master changed a lot since she came here. And I'm very happy for her."_

Mato walked on to Yomi. "Hey, Yomi."

Yomi snapped back and turned to Mato. And Mato grinned. In response, Yomi smiled. "It seems that all is well, isn't it?" Mato said.

"As I see it, I'll take that as a yes." Yomi replied.

"Alright girls, we will go to the nearest mall to have some fun. I'm glad that everyone's here." BRS said. And then she exclaimed cheerfully. "LET'S GO!"

"YAY!" everyone cheered.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Omotesando Hills, Shibuya District, Tokyo<strong>_

Omotesando Hills is one of the best shopping malls in Shibuya. It contains 130 shops and 38 apartments so many people are not only in awe of its number of shops and recreational areas but also its artistic interior. The girls' entered the room. But they noticed Dead Master's glee as she was in awe of the whole place.

"It seems that Dead-chan is excited to come here, isn't she?" BRS wondered

"It seems she is." Mato answered. She turned to BRS and asked her. "Hey, Rock. Where's your scooter?"

BRS replied. "Well, I parked it the parking lot. So it's safe there."

"Hehe, good thing then." Mato said and she smiled because she is happy that BRS has her own transportation.

Then Yuu came forward. "Come on, everybody! Here we go!"

STR saw this and a smile formed on her lips. _"Well, it can't be helped."_ And the group started to walk around the mall.

The gang had a good time with each other. They went to the department store to buy some clothes for Dead Master, which it helps for her since she's a fashionista. Then they went to the arcade to play some videogames, particularly BRS and Mato. They played NBA 2K12 for the PS3. It's a good choice for them because not only they play basketball but they're also NBA fans. Afterwards, they ate at a restaurant. After they fill their empty stomachs, they sat on the benches of the mall where they can rest and chitchat. Actually, Yuu is playing her PSP while STR is watching beside her.

Suddenly, Mato felt a squirm. She needs to go to the restroom. So she needs to get an excuse from her friends. "Hey girls, I'm going to the bathroom."

"Ok, Mato. We're gonna wait here." Yomi said. Mato went on her way. But BRS felt something… different. Something's not right.

Yomi noticed Rock's worried look. "What's wrong, Rock? Something's bothering you."

"Oh, it's nothing." BRS replied.

Mato went to the bathroom and she felt relieved after 5 minutes but she was suddenly knocked down by a mysterious woman in black. And she carried the poor girl.

* * *

><p>BRS sense something. "Mato!" She stood up. She senses danger and Mato is in deep trouble. She needs her help!<p>

"Rock! Where are you going!" Dead Master exclaimed.

"I'm going to find Mato! Just keep those bags, ok!" Rock said as she starts to run. Yuu noticed on what's happening. "Hey, what's going on?" she wondered.

STR droned. "Something's not right."

"STR? Seriously!"

Yomi wanted to chase her but Dead Master holds her arm. "Let's leave it to Rock. Mato is a dear friend to her. Just trust her." She also formed a smile on her lips, assuring to Yomi that she'll get Mato back safely.

And then Dead Master stood up and said to the others. "Everyone, let's get out of this place, and watch our backs. We need to keep our eyes open."

The 3 nodded and left the area, carrying their bags. Something bad has happened to Mato and if they can't get out there soon enough, maybe much worse will happen.

BRS keeps on walking fast and run as necessary in search of Mato. The whole mall is also crowded so she should be careful at the same time. Thanks to being an Otherworlder, despite of her fragile-looking body, she also had heightened senses and superhuman strength, power and agility, which she can survive numerous battles with monsters and other Otherworlders. She keeps on searching her human counterpart until she saw until the mysterious lady carrying the unconscious Mato as the culprit is trying to get out of the building.

"Oh no, Mato!" BRS exclaimed in surprise.

When the culprit heard someone shouting, she fired her gun in the air, making most of the people covered in fear due to the gunshot and even clear the way for her. BRS was unfazed at this as she keeps on running. The culprit never hesitated to fire her gun yet Rock just dodged the bullet with ease. Still defiant, the culprit instead shot the ground where Rock stood, forcing the long, ponytailed girl to dodge the bullets instead. With quickness, the culprit continued to run away and out of the mall but BRS keeps her eyes on her as she also ran to chase the culprit.

She finally made it outside, but it seems the culprit disappeared, until she finally saw the culprit, trying to enter an incoming car. When the culprit noticed that someone is coming, she fired another shot yet Rock also dodged it. The culprit quickly entered to the car and the said car drove off. Rock tried to chase it but to no avail.

She is thinking of another way: she can never use her super speed while running or use her Rock Cannon in public since it will arouse suspicion. Instead, she saw an incoming motorcycle. She kicked the guy in the motorcycle, taking him down. She never hesitated to climb up and revs it. She turned to the guy and shouted, "Sorry, Mister! I need to borrow this!" After she revved the engines, she went off riding the bike. The owner shouted, "Hey, come back here, you brat!" He sighed and muttered, "Kids these days…"

With breathtaking speed, BRS continued to search for the car. She kept her eyes open yet she never needed shades or helmet to protect her eyes from the wind. When she saw the car, she revved the bike and went faster, only to chase the said car. Her thoughts are focused on how to save Mato from the culprits. She wants to protect everyone, including her real world counterpart and best friend. _"Mato, hang on!"_ BRS thought.

The car keeps on driving. It seems the driver and the culprit are the same side after all. The woman who kidnapped Mato has reddish hair and brown eyes. The driver is a man with a blackish gray hair and wearing shades. The driver asks the mysterious woman.

"Is she the girl?"

"She is. We need to get at our hideout until we rendezvous to our Viper jet. She is also vital for our cause. Mistress Shinzo has an interest in this young maiden..."

But the driver looked in the side mirror and he was surprised; someone is following them: a teenage girl riding a bike. BRS made her way through here, just to save Mato.

"Oh, crap! Someone is chasing us!"

The woman looked and she saw BRS chasing them, but she noticed. Aghast, the woman grabbed her submachine gun, turned and fired at her. Bullets come to Rock as she tried to dodge the incoming fire. She continued firing in order to distract her. As the chase continues, cars are crashing and people are in panic due to the mayhem caused by the car itself. Despite of this, BRS continued to chase the car until they reached the bridge. For BRS, it's all or nothing and she'll do whatever it takes to save her friend.

Pissed, she throws a grenade so the ponytailed girl will die in an explosion. BRS noticed this and she turned to stay away from the grenade as it explodes. Yet, she continued to chase the car. The woman throws another grenade and it was directly at BRS. With no further, she materialized her Black Blade and made an arc slash on the grenade, cutting it into two. Two explosions rocked, yet no one is hurt. BRS turned and smirked because everyone is safe and she continues to

The chase lasts for an hour until they reached the warehouse area. The car stopped. And the driver got out of the car.

"Die, little bitch!"

The driver fired his submachine gun on the incoming BRS yet she jumped high away from the bike and did a ferocious kick on the driver, instantly knocking the driver out. She turned to her left and saw the culprit carrying Mato; she continually chased the culprit until the culprit turned back and cocked her gun on Mato. Rock saw this and stopped a bit.

"No, don't do this." Rock pleaded.

The culprit hesitated and tried to kill BRS but she ran out of bullets. Still aghast, she threw the gun away and grabs a strange device from her pocket. Smirking, she pushed the button on the switch and suddenly, some of the buildings are starting to turn to rubble. She covered from the dust made by the rubble and when the dust disappears from her sight, she never saw the culprit! She went away! But she had a bigger problem to deal with: 4 giant robots appeared and a group of soldiers who wear green uniforms. They surround BRS. One soldier began to spoke.

"What? We're going to fight this girl?"

"She's no ordinary girl. This is what Mistress Shinzo told us. She is nothing more than a monster! But remember: NO MERCY!"

"_They said that I'm a monster? Wow, pathetic hypocrites." _BRS thought.

They point their guns at BRS, ready to commence fire. They all shouted, "HAIL HYDRA!"

"_Wait? Are they some kind of a cult or something? I know that the Otherworld also has some cult-like beings but… these guys are not creepier."_ BRS wondered.

Then they began to fire. Sensing this and using her reflexes, BRS dodged the barrage of laser bullets until she finds a cover through a box of crates until it was blasted by their own giant 'Power Armor'. BRS noticed this and she cussed to herself.

"_Damn."_

She got up quickly and ran away from the blasts made by the Power Armors and continually dodging the shots fired from the soldiers. She needs to get to Mato yet HYDRA's Power Armor units blocked her way, eliminating any chance to chase the culprit. Pissed, she jumped to the top of the warehouse and looked down on her attackers. The she closed her eyes and a blue flame engulfs her whole body. The flame was so bright that the soldiers were in awe on what they have seen. When the flames died out, they still saw BRS but she is in her Otherworld outfit. She also carries her Rock Cannon in her left hand. She wears her hood and to no avail, she aimed her heavy cannon at the soldiers. She charged her Rock Cannon and replied with a smirk.

"Sorry pricks. But playtime's over. And you're messing with the wrong girl."

And she fired a blast to the soldiers and their Power Armors. Then an explosion rocked.

* * *

><p>The female culprit heard it yet she ignores it and keeps on running, passing the warehouses nearby. Unknown to her, someone is watching her from above. The mysterious figure moved as he continued to sneak in.<p>

The culprit kept her eyes open since someone is following her. She shouted, "Who's there!"

When she tried to turn, she was knocked out by a certain object. The object returned to the mysterious figure. It was revealed that it was a round, metal shield with red and blue colors with a single star on the center. Then he saw Mato and he carried her to safety. Then he realized that this was the same girl that bumped on him. He can't help but to smile since he also saved the girl known as Mato.

* * *

><p>BRS continued to fight the HYDRA units. She damaged the two Power Armors, completely destroying them through her Rock Cannon. The HYDRA soldiers were in awe and shock at the sheer power of BRS.<p>

The soldiers continued firing and so does the remaining Power Armors. BRS dodged them jumping and fired her Rock Cannon in the air, killing some of the HYDRA soldiers and causing damage on one of the two Power Armors. She landed on ground and much to their surprise, she came closely to them. One soldier tried to punch her but BRS dodged it and counter it with a knee and a left punch, knocking the soldier out. The other 4 rushed yet she dodged their attacks; she blocked one punch from the attacking soldier and she elbowed him in the chest and launches a power high kick. Another soldier tried to stab her with a knife yet with quickness; BRS grabbed the soldier's arm and knocked him with a 3-hit punch combo. The last two simultaneously tried to attack her yet she avoids their attacks by jumping high as she landed both on their shoulders. Then she does a double sidekick against the two soldiers, knocking them. Landing on the ground she surveyed the whole and she was a bit satisfied.

"_Piece of cake."_ BRS thought.

But she sensed an incoming fire from one of the Power Armors and yet she flips high backwards to avoid it. As she was in the air, she was knocked out by two missiles as she landed hard to the ground. She noticed that her coat received less damage. As she was still lying on the ground, she saw 4 Power Armors coming from the air as they landed to the ground. Not only that, another group of 5 HYDRA soldiers also came to the scene, making them a number of 10. They pointed their guns on her, ready to fire. As she struggled to get up, she saw the two incoming missiles firing at her. Seeing this, BRS muttered. _"Oh, crap!"_

Suddenly, a mysterious man jumped high from the building; and with good timing, he blocked the two missiles with his round, metal shield, causing an explosion. When the fire and smoke disappeared, the HYDRA soldiers opened their mouths in shock.

"What the-?"

"It can't be!"

"That's-?"

But the most surprised of all is none other than BRS herself. She was saved and protected by most Otherworlders in her whole life, mostly female. But this was the first time that she was saved by a human. Not just a human but… a man. And she also saw him as unique: he wears an unusual costume. As opposed to the black, white and blue of BRS's colors, the man wears a blue costume with red and white stripes, making it red, white and blue. The man looked at BRS and what she also noticed is that the man wears a mask with the letter 'A' on its forehead. He made a smile as he began to spoke at the girl…

"Are you ok, kid?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>This ends chapter 4. I may not be good in doing action stuff, but this is worth it. The next chapter is their first team up as Cap helps Rock to defeat the HYDRA insurgents. And of course, the aftermath on what happened to Mato's failed abduction.

Thank you and I'll see you later.


	5. When Two Stars Collide

**Author's Note: **Well, I'm back again! After some edits, I have managed to release this next chapter. For the past few weeks, I have watched the 2nd trailer for the upcoming Avengers film and I'm still strucked by its awesomeness after I've watched it a hundred of times! And **TrailblazingArtist**, thanks for your amazing review. I use the anime outfit for BRS since it's more like a hybrid of the OVA and game version and it's a cool design; on Cap, I use the costume from the Avengers film. Others hated the costume due to the helmet but when you watch the trailers, it's cool and awesome in motion.

I'm also planning to use some elements from the game, but I'll put that aside. Don't worry guys, I'll use it for my other future projects. So here it is: Chapter 5! This is the first team-up of Captain America and Black Rock Shooter!

Huke, Ordet and Good Smile Company owns Black Rock Shooter.

Marvel, Joe Simon, and Jack Kirby owns Captain America.

* * *

><p>"Are you ok, kid?"<p>

Rock snapped and she stood up and looked at the mysterious man who saved her.

"Thanks for saving me, Mister. And… who are you?" BRS inquired.

"Save that for later. Let's take out these guys first." The mysterious man takes a fighting stance using a shield.

Something had clicked on the man's mind. "Hey, you have that big cannon of yours, right?"

"Uh, yeah. So what's with that?" BRS inquired.

Then he told the girl. "It seems that your weapon is powerful. You take down the HYDRA Power Armors out while I'll take of those 5 ugly guys out there. I'm going to make a distraction on those guys while you charge on those big guns. Is that clear?"

BRS has second thoughts on what the mysterious man said. She retorted. "Those big scrap metal guys out there? All right, I'll do it. But… are you sure this is going to work?"

The man responded with a smile. "Just trust me on this."

The soldiers saw the mysterious man in front of them. "What the hell is Captain America doing here!"

"No matter what it takes, let's take that bastard down, including that flame-eyed twintailed slut!" The squad leader ordered.

"HAIL HYDRA!" As they shouted, they're starting to rain fire from their laser rifles.

Captain America continues to hold his shield as he continues to protect them from the incoming fire. "Here they come. You ready?"

"Yeah." BRS replied, gripping her Rock Cannon.

"Let's go! MOVE!" Cap ordered.

They began to dash against the HYDRA units with Cap using his shield as a defensive weapon. BRS followed him and when he is throwing his shield, BRS jumped high and with quickness and finesse, she managed to take down two of the Power Armors with her Rock Cannon. She noticed that someone was behind her as one Power Armor wants to grab her, but it was a failed attempt as she is avoiding it by jumping and does a back flip in the air. Then she aimed her Rock Cannon from airborne and tries to do a charged shot on the Power Armor from behind.

Thanks to the fact that he threw his shield, Cap managed to knock out three soldiers successfully. While running, Cap catches it like a boomerang, and then he jumped in the air and throws as landing punch on one soldier. It was one big blow and knocked out from that punch. Then the remaining soldier tries to attack him using his rifle yet he blocked it using his shield and he throws a quick combo of a punch to the head and a sidekick to the lower body, instantly defeating him. Then Cap turned his sights on the 2 Power Armors continuously attacking BRS. The girl is still using her Rock Cannon to make a distraction for them, hoping that there will be an opening to finish them off. But she had a hard time fighting the two remaining Power Armors because they were also skilled and they know her attack patterns. Immediately, Captain America dashed forward and throws his shield to the forehead of the machine, creating some damage. Like the last time, it bounces and he catches it then he jumped high and does a strong kick to the head, making the Power Armor fell. BRS noticed this as an opening so she did a full charged shot from her Rock Cannon and fired it, completely destroying the giant machine. One machine left and fired a large energy shot at her. BRS tried to counter it by preparing a charged shot yet Captain America comes in and uses his shield to block the power shot. The shot was so powerful and all he can do is to use his strength to block it, also protecting BRS.

He turned to BRS and told her. "Kid, NOW!"

BRS nodded and when she saw the opening, she dashed in and fired her Rock Cannon with several shots, damaging the arms and the chest part. She took out her Black Blade and slashed the Power Armor's legs, damaging them off, making the Power Armor malfuctioned. She jumped away to prepare herself; she fired her Rock Cannon to the damaged legs and exploded, making the machine fell. Then she went up and opened the entrance of the cockpit by slashing it with her Black Blade and she saw the pilot, which is female. The female pilot took out his gun yet her hand was kicked by BRS. Then the twintailed girl grabbed the female pilot as she began to interrogate her, "Who the hell are you!"

Cap came at the scene with BRS interrogating the pilot. The pilot, answered with conviction in her eyes. "You're the great Black Rock Shooter, aren't you? Can't believe that a little kid like you can kick our asses."

Pissed, BRS shouted, "How do you guys know my real name!"

Then the pilot chuckled and smiled sadistically, "Remember this, bitch. We're the first of many. You cut off one head; two more shall take its place!"

The pilot pushed a remote switch. Then the Power Armor sets its self-destruct mode with the 10-second limit. And her last words she said "Hail HYDRA…!"

"Kid, get out! That thing's gonna blow!" Cap shouted.

BRS noticed the self-destruct timer at the inner part of the cockpit. But it was 3 seconds left and-

_BOOM!_

Cap covered his eyes and when he opened them, he saw fire and smoke as he saw the Power Armor is destroyed in pieces.

"KID!" Cap shouted. Suddenly, the smoke cleared and he saw that BRS is standing there, unaffected by the explosion. What make him surprised is not only she survived the explosion but he saw a mysterious blue flame on her left eye. Then BRS passed out, losing her energy a bit yet Cap catches her.

"Kid, are you all right?" Cap asked.

BRS opened her eyes and looked on the masked man. "Yeah, I guess."

Rock got up and took off the dust from her clothes. "It seems that explosion didn't affect you at all. Do you have superpowers or something?" he inquired.

"Well, don't mention it. For me, it's always like this." BRS replied. Then something clicked on her mind. "Wait, Mato!" She turned to Cap. "Did you see Mato? She was kidnapped!"

"You mean that girl? Don't worry, she's safe now." Cap told her. "Currently, she was taking home by my partner."

"Thank goodness." BRS sighed in relief. She approached the man and bowed. "Thank you for saving my friend."

"No problem. By the way, you kicked their asses. I'm impressed." He commented.

She blushed and rubbed her head as she replied back. "Uh, thanks. And thank you for helping me back there."

"I'm off to go now." Cap said, signaling that he'll leave the area.

"Wait!" BRS stopped him a bit. "I want to know who these people are. And what's your name?"

He turned back and told her. "I'm Captain America. You were called Black Rock Shooter, right? Not a bad name." And he continued to go on his way.

"Captain!" BRS shouted.

And the man turned. "You never answered my first question!"

Instead, he replied with a smile. "I'll tell you everything… when we meet again. Any time, any chance." And he started to run.

As she saw him run away, she thought that this will be the day she would never forget: she met a man who saved her and her friend. The one who also adorned a star, just like her. And he also fights to help her. The man who carries a shield. She can't help but to smile.

"_Thanks for helping me. Thank you… Captain America."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Kuroi Residence<strong>_

Mato was sleeping on the couch. Yomi, Dead Master, Yuu, and STR are also present; most of them are glad to see Mato safe. Dead Master wondered who the culprits behind Mato's abduction are and their objectives. STR also had deep thoughts, even though she didn't talk too much, she is also ready to protect her friends from danger. Yomi, on the other hand, worried at first yet she was happy that her friend is safe.

Mato opened her eyes as she woke up. And she saw that her friends are here, except Rock. She bolted up from her bed. "Where's Rock!"

"She'll be on her way." Yomi replied.

"Good thing that you're ok, Mato." Dead Master said. "Everyone's worried here, including your mother."

Mato tried to remember everything until she grabbed one memory of it. She said, "I see. All I remember is when I went out of the bathroom, I felt something hit me on the head and I passed out. And lastly, I woke up here."

STR spoke. "Correction: You were knocked out."

Dead Master nodded and wondered. "Someone is trying to kidnap you. Rock-chan tried to chase the kidnappers and she saved you. And someone brought you home."

Mato thought up a bit. "Ok. Rock came and tried to save me. But who brought me home?" Mato inquired.

"A foreigner. She has blonde hair. And she's American." Dead Master said.

"Oh really." Mato replied. She was thankful for Rock to being there with her. Her Other Self. One of her friends. She can't help but being very happy since she has a protector. Not only that, she is also glad that someone from a foreign country helped her.

The door opened and everyone saw BRS coming in. BRS was so glad that she saw Mato and she's ok. She rushed in and gave her a hug. "Mato, thank goodness you're safe!"

"Oh, come on, Rock. Don't be like that." Mato groaned. "I'm glad that you came to rescue me. Thanks, Rock-chan."

BRS relieved on Mato's words. Even though she tried to save her, the credit goes to the man known as Captain America. But she decided to herself not to tell them because she thought that something bad might happen. She thought that it will be best that she will tell the whole story when the right time comes. So she let go off Mato and sat beside her.

"Aside from Mato, anybody of you got hurt?" BRS inquired.

"We managed to get out of the mall safely." Dead Master told her. "The best part is we even brought all the stuff we buy." When BRS heard this, she noticed that most of the stuff they bought are already there. She thought that whether they have them or not, the very important thing is that Mato is safe.

Ms. Kuroi, Mato's mother, carried glasses and a juice for the girls for refreshments. They began to fill the glasses with the juice and they started to drink.

"Thank you so much!" they echoed in unison.

"You kids have a hard time since my daughter was kidnapped." Mato's mother said. "To be honest, I was worried about Mato. But I was glad that she's safe. I know you'll protect her, Rock-chan. Even though you and your friends came from the Otherworld. Even you look different, you're not dangerous at all. Isn't that right, Rock-chan?"

"Uh, yeah. Thank you so much, Kuroi-san. Honestly, I and my friends tried to live a normal life here. Because we want to know what it feels like to be here, at the expense of hiding our identities." She explained.

"Yeah, I appreciate that. Also, I love the way on how you and Mato are being together, even though you two looked alike." Then Ms. Kuroi looked on Yomi and Dead Master. "And it seems that you are also happy for Mato, Yomi-chan."

Yomi noticed this and looks on Mrs. Kuroi. "Because of these two, Dead-chan also realized what friendship really means. And you also helped her, Yomi-chan. You helped her to manage herself in living here."

Yomi blushed on Mrs. Kuroi's remark. And to someone's surprise, Dead Master also blushed, too! They looked at each other with curious faces. Ms. Kuroi chuckled on the scene and at the same time, both BRS and Mato bursts with laughter at the two.

Yomi and Dead Master both exclaimed. "Hey, what's so funny!"

BRS responded with a smile as she pointed the two. "From the looks of it, I believe you two are worried about Mato and you are both blushed on what Kuroi-san said."

"Yeah, it's really cute to see you two together, Yomi." Mato remarked. And she was glad on what her mother said.

"I-I, uh…." Yomi and Dead Master stuttered in unison. They looked at each other and Yomi smiled, then Dead Master smiled back; they realized that they can even understand each other after all this time. Dead Master also learned that there is something more than hatred and death but also life as well. And she wanted to thank Mato and BRS for that

Mato's brother Hiro, came down from his room and when he saw his older sister, he rushed in and hugged her. "Nee-chan!"

"H-hey, Hiro!" Mato exclaimed in surprise. Then Hiro said, "Did you get hurt! Did those bad guys torture you!"

"Hehehe, don't worry. Nothing bad happened to me. Of course, you're Nee-chan is tough!" Mato thought of something. "But the credit goes to her." Mato smiled as she points her finger to Rock. Hiro looked to BRS and he comes in front and bowed.

"Thanks for saving Nee-chan, Rock, nee!" Hiro said.

"No prob. But your sister is brave. I know that." BRS replied. She raised her right hand and when Hiro noticed this, the both did a high five.

Then Hiro suddenly outburst and exclaimed, "Hey, Rock! Will you show me some moves on how you jump high or beat monsters from your world! Come on, Rock-nee!"

As Hiro continuously pleading, Mato can't help but to laugh at Rock's confusion, telling her, "It seems you have a big fan of yours, Rock!"

And everyone laughed. And because of this, Rock rubbed her head and chuckled in embarrassment. Who would have thought that someone like her, an Otherworlder, who is Mato's Other Self with the same face yet she has a long hair, will have a bigger fan in Hiro? She can't help but to smile but she's also bit worried.

"_I hope this won't come to worse." _She sheepishly thought.

After half an hour of fun chat, Yomi, Dead Master, Yuu, and STR left Mato's house along with their baggage. BRS also joined in as she needs to get home to her own apartment. As she mounted on her scooter, Mato went outside and waved goodbye to her friends, including BRS. Tomorrow is Sunday and thankfully, it's a long weekend so she can spend her time together with her friends. She shouted, "See you guys tomorrow!"

The 4 girls waved back, "Bye Mato!"

As BRS wears her helmet and jumpstart the engines, she looked at Mato, "We can hang out tomorrow, Mato! See ya!"

And BRS rode off. After this, the 4 girls started to walk off. Mato relieved on herself. Because she was glad that she had not only have 3 friends but also has 3 different friends from another world, including her Other Self. Her stomach is growling, she stated. "I'm hungry."

Mato's mom called her, "Mato, it's time for dinner!"

"Coming, Mom!" She responded happily. She can't wait to fill her empty stomach.

The 4 girls were on her way until they reached Yomi's house. STR and Yuu waved goodbye to the two girls and handed the baggage to them. As the two tiny friends left, Dead Master sighed "Why should I hold these?"

"Don't worry, I'll help." Yomi said as she helped carry the baggage. Dead Master and smiled on her. "Thanks."

"No prob." Yomi replied on Dead Master's answer.

"I hope that Kagari and Chariot are ok." Dead Master implied.

"Maybe they should come with us tomorrow. Not a bad idea, right?" Yomi said.

"Hmmm, you're right." Dead Master told Yomi.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Designated S.H.I.E.L.D. Safehouse<strong>_

_**Tokyo**_

Steve was sitting on the chair. He's thinking about what happened a few hours ago. Not only he fought some HYDRA hostiles, but he also fought alongside with a mysterious teenage girl who has a blue flame burning in her left eye. And what would HYDRA do to an innocent 13 year-old girl? And who is the girl called as Black Rock Shooter? These are the thoughts that juggling into Steve's mind.

The door opened and when Steve looked, he saw Sharon come in. "I've sent the girl home."

"Good." Steve remarked, relieved that the girl was sent home safe. "Did she wake up while you're driving?"

"Nah, she went Sleeping Beauty." Sharon stated.

Steve went on. "It is official: HYDRA is on the move. We better to keep our eyes on them. And if something bad happens, we need to respond by helping innocents and stop their plans."

As she prepared her laptop and other devices, Sharon told Steve. "I know, but we need to get ready. If the HYDRA threat is getting bigger, it's time to call the other Avengers for help."

"We will call them if necessary." Steve noted.

"Here it is, Steve." Sharon called him, looking at the laptop. She set up a holographic feature and she began. "I've received information from S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, coming off from our database."

She continued. "This is Mato Kuroi, 13 years old. Short hair and has blue eye color. Living only with her mother and little brother, while her father is working overseas. Goes to a certain middle school in the Tokyo area and she is also a basketball player. No signs of superhuman features. Completely human. Overall, she's a normal middle school girl."

"I met that girl when she bumped on me when I'm taking a walk." Steve noted. "I saved her butt from an HYDRA agent. But the question is… why would they kidnap her?" Steve thought a bit. But something clicked on her mind. "Hey, did you see the mysterious girl that I fought with?"

Sharon answered, "Yes, I got it all recorded here." She showed a gadget which it has a video recording function. She installed a USB cord and put it on her laptop. A few hours ago, Sharon also saw him fighting with the mysterious girl. Like Steve, Sharon had her thoughts on the mystery of this girl. She played the video and as they watched the footage, Sharon paused and they zoomed it.

"There she is." Steve said after seeing it.

"This girl is remarkable. She has the same face and the same eyes as Mato Kuroi's but the eyes are also different in the sense." Sharon noted. But she also wondered. "How can a teenage girl like her can carry a cannon that was so heavy?"

"I believe she also has superpowers. But this is a different case in my opinion. Gladly speaking, I helped saved her friend Mato Kuroi." Steve said.

"Did she have a name?" Sharon inquired.

"She said that she was called as… Black Rock Shooter." Steve replied.

Sharon was bewildered on the name. "It's more like a code name but it made a little more sense."

Steve chuckled, "Yeah, right. Things are getting interesting if you ask me. I want to meet her again."

"Don't worry, Steve. I'll just browse the database on that girl. Alright, she had a civilian name under… Hoshioka Kuroi. She was identified as Mato's 'cousin', age 14; she also went to the same school with her, has a part time job as an assistant basketball coach and also lives in an apartment."

"Where's the location?" Steve inquired.

Sharon pinpoints the location. "It was in Shibuya."

As he analyzes the location, including the complete address, he was satisfied inside.

"_Like I said, we'll meet again, kid. Very soon."_

* * *

><p>End of chapter 5.<p>

All right, we've seen the two main characters fight together and Mato returned safely along with her family and friends present. And we see that Steve is eager to know more about BRS, which will lead to good moments in future chapters. I want to include character development on some characters and my OC character will play a vital role in the future.

I wanna tell you on why I choose Captain America over any Marvel comic book character, but you will find the answer at the time I'll release the next chapter. Please read and review and I'll see you all later!


	6. Hanging Out, Plans, and Mysteries

**Author's Note: **Now, I'm back again. I've finished the Black Rock Shooter TV anime and it was an enjoyable ride. It has a happy ending after all. I'm wishing for a Season 2 of it.

Now, here is the new chapter: we catch a glimpse on how Dead Master and Chariot lived their normal lives. More basketball stuff here and there are some interesting parts, most from my OC characters. So overall, enjoy this chapter!

Black Rock Shooter belongs to Huke, Ordet, and Good Smile Company

Captain America is a property of Marvel Entertainment, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Tokyo, Japan<strong>_

_**7:00 am**_

Mato woke up in a bright, shiny morning, rubbing her eyes and stretching her body. She opened the window and inhaled the fresh air. Good thing that today it's Sunday so she can have time to relax and hang out with her friends. But this time, it would be different and it will not be like the last time where she was kidnapped. But she thought to herself that she would not worry about it and move on.

Things went as usual: taking a bath, change clothes, and eat breakfast. When Hiro is watching morning shows on their TV, Mato reached on her cellphone and she starts dialing. "Hello, Rock."

BRS answered the call. _"Hey, Mato. What's up?"_

"Maybe we should hang out today. Let's meet at the playground. At the basketball court." Mato informed her.

"_Alright, but what time?"_ BRS inquired.

Mato thought for a moment. "How about 10:00am? I'll inform Yomi and the others." Mato noted.

"_I also informed Yomi, too. She also said that they wanted to bring Kagari and Chario with us."_ BRS confirmed.

"Hey, that's awesome! I wanna see them being with us!" Mato exclaimed.

"Thanks, bye." Mato ended the call. And she did a sigh of relief. She had confidence that she will meet with her friends today. In addition, she is also happy that Kagari and Chariot will also join them, especially Chariot since she wants to know her more personally. Mato wanted no waste because today is also a weekend and tomorrow will be school. So she went to the couch and spends time with her brother, Hiro through watching TV.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Takanashi Residence<strong>_

_**8:00 am **_

Four girls are sitting on the couch, watching TV. Not only Yomi and Dead Master, but also 2 girls. One girl is a human, who has a long yellow hair and yellow eyes. The other girl beside her are almost had the same face has hers and even the eyes yet they were also different, similar to Otherworlders. The human girl's name is Kagari Izuhira, who is Yomi's childhood friend. At first, she nearly died in an accident 7 years ago and she became a cripple, forcing her into a wheelchair. Worse, she became insane and obsessed with Yomi, commanding her to do what she wants. In truth, she recovered and she was able to walk, but she pretended to be a cripple in order to stay with Yomi and not make friends with everyone outside, including Mato. But when she fell on the stairs herself and went to the hospital with an injured wrist, Yomi decided to help Kagari to live a normal life outside along with Mato. After this, she was cured from her insanity and started to go to school.

The other girl is known as Chariot, who is Kagari's Otherworld counterpart, whose civilian name is Kise Kuruma. In her Otherworld clothes, she wears a crown in her head and wears a black and white dress and instead of feet, her footwear consists of wheels. She also carries a sword and her big spiked wheel as a shield while in battle. She made Dead Master as her captive and Black Rock Shooter defeated her in order to rescue Dead Master, at expense of making Dead Master a powerful adversary. Her corpse was thrown in a pit, but thanks to Kagari's resolve, Chariot was miraculously revived.

Then she decided to live in the real world not only to understand her real world self even more, but also learn on how to live a normal life along with her friends. Actually, she also had a hard time catching up just like Dead Master since at the time she used a spell in order to hide her… otherworldly features, she had a difficulty to walk with her bare feet yet Kagari helped her a lot. She loves to watch TV with Kagari She learned how to cook thanks to Yomi and her maid and the good thing is that her meals are very delicious that even rival to those from the top chefs from other parts of the world; and best of all, she got it all from watching reality cooking shows, particularly Iron Chef and MasterChef. What is funny is that she had a big appetite and a certified macaron addict.

Currently, the 4 girls are watching a Sunday morning anime show. It's about 5 magical girls fighting against evil forces, but unlike any magical girl show, they were kicking ass. Something clicked on Dead Master's mind and she rushed back at Yomi's room. Kagari noticed and she asks Yomi.

"Where's Dead-chan going?" she inquired.

Yomi smiled and said, "Well, doing her own thing."

"Hmmm, okay." Kagari said when Chariot suddenly burst in excitement.

"Yay! Here's my favorite part! The henshin sequence!" Chariot exclaimed.

And they both sighed yet they were happy all along. They love to see Chariot being like that and best of all, even though she had a hard time of adjusting herself unlike BRS and others, she had a cheerful demeanor. Like Dead Master, Chariot had never experienced happiness before unlike in the Otherworld where she was considered as cold-blooded warrior. And she learned many things, thanks to her human friends.

On Yomi's room, Dead Master was sitting on a desk. With a pencil and a paper, she starts to draw. If Yomi was a member of the art club, Dead Master set her sights in drawing, but very different. A fan of anime, manga, tokusatsu, comic books and even comic book movies, she began to draw images of characters, comic strips, etc. She wanted to be a good manga artist someday and hoping that people will love her drawings. Since she's a fan of antiheroes, she drew inspiration from Shotaro Ishinomori, the creator of Kamen Rider and Skull Man, as well as Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich. She is not only an avid manga reader but also novels and comic books as well. For the once former so-called entity of death, it's easy for her to do such things.

Yomi knocked the door and when Dead noticed it, she told her. "You can come in."

Yomi opened the door as she entered her own room. When she slanted her head to take a look on what Dead is doing, she opened her jaw in awe. "Hey, did you draw this strip?" Yomi inquired.

"I did. Did you like it?" Dead Master asked her.

"This is so dark yet… amazing! I can't believe you can draw like this!" Yomi exclaimed

"Well, thanks!" Dead Master cheerfully replied.

"Oh, I almost forgot. We should meet with Mato and Rock-chan at the park." Yomi told Dead Master.

When Dead Master realized this, she said. "I'll tell Kagari and Chariot that they need to get ready. And… let's help them prepare the food for all of us."

"All right, but let's wait until they finished watching Chariot's favorite show." Yomi giggled.

"Oh come on. She's starting to watching comedy shows, then cooking shows and now, magical girls!" Dead Master.

"Hey, I think you should try to watch Madoka Magica. It really suits your taste. You'll love it~!" Yomi implied.

"Umm… I'm going to think about it." Dead Master said. And the two of them went downstairs and saw Kagari and Chariot still watching TV. They looked at each other and they both shrugged.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Secret HYDRA Base<strong>_

_**Outside of Nagano**_

Yuuka Shinzo was sitting on her office. Her office consists of monitors and other devices, including her own hi-tech laptop. As chief of the HYDRA network in Japan, she was a very busy person, thinking of plans and doing observations on their operations. The man known as the Red Skull installed her since he believes in her abilities. Yuuka ensures that her plans will succeed, thus helping HYDRA achieving their goals. But in deep thought, she also had plans for herself: not only for world domination but something different, yet something better. And not only that, she believes that the Red Skull will be impressed on what she will reveal but not today, but when the right comes.

The mechanical door opened and a HYDRA agent arrived. She is a female and wears a standard green uniform. She saw the agent and greets her with a salute, "Ma'am."

"What's your report?" Yuuka inquired.

"Our agents were in task to abduct Kuroi Mato as you ordered yesterday. But unfortunately-"

Yuuka cut her off. "They failed on their operation. I don't know if I'm going to be infuriated or not."

"Continuing the report. Someone is chasing them. A girl with twintailed hair and blue eyes but they were also different." She opened the screen at the back and Yuuka turned. An image of a girl with a long twintailed hair appeared. "Is this the girl are you talking about?"

Yuuka looked at the screen of the said girl. She grinned on what she saw. _"My, my. Black Rock Shooter. Now, you're going to stop us? This will be interesting."_ She thought to herself.

"Should I continue, Ma'am?" the agent asked.

"Fire away. I need to know more on their status." Yuuka ordered.

As the agent continued her report, the screen also showed images of BRS fighting the HYDRA units. Yuuka keeps her eyes since this caught her interest. "The said young girl managed to defeat our troops. Some reinforcements have arrived. The team is at the verge on defeating her and to be captured. But…"

"But what?" Yuuka inquired.

"Someone helped her. The same enemy that we fought." Then agent showed an image of man in a blue costume with a shield as a weapon.

Yuuka's eyes widened then she narrowed her eyes. She even cracked her knuckles about what she saw. She found out that the man who helped BRS defeat her forces in none other than the Red Skull's archenemy.

"_Captain America…"_ she mumbled in animosity.

Then she closed her eyes and suddenly, she chuckled. The HYDRA agent just stared at her as she can't believe that she is as diabolical as the Red Skull but the difference is she is more insane. After Yuuka laughed, she let a sigh and looked at the agent with a calm demeanor.

"Agent?" Yuuka said.

"Yes, Ma'am?" awaiting orders from her superior.

"Continue on our research. We need to strengthen our forces if we want to reach our primary goal. Any questions?" Yuuka inquired.

"Yes, Ma'am. I have no right to complain but why do you want to kidnap Kuroi Mato? I mean, she's just a 13-year old schoolgirl."

Yuuka smiled. "Why? Because she is no ordinary girl. Did you see that unnatural young lady in the screen?" she noted when she pointed her finger at BRS. "On the contrary, she is like me." Yuuka replied.

The female HYDRA agent grinned behind her mask. "Hmm, I got your point. That's why you conducted this operation: to make an army composed of young men and women yet they were considered as unnatural beings. Does it remind you of the X-Men, mentored by Charles Xavier? They were different because they were mutants."

The young HYDRA chief chuckled. "Trust me. The army that I'm talking about is not like mutants. It is not of this world. But it's from _another_. That's why I conducted this research. So let's keep looking on potential individuals to be part of our army. On the contrary, my interest in Kuroi Mato is more on personal reasons. And as I have seen, we will have a hard time achieving our goals because Captain America has becomes BRS's ally. But thankfully, I'm well prepared and they are on the cards." Yuuka assured.

"I see." The agent understood.

"You are dismissed." Yuuka concluded. "Hail HYDRA."

Then the agent saluted, signaling her dismissal. "Hail HYDRA!"

Then she looked back at the screen on the image of seeing Captain America and Black Rock Shooter fighting her soldiers. Instead, she made an evil grin.

"_Black Rock Shooter. Captain America. Let's see how the two of you can work together to stop me."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Specific Playground<strong>_

_**Tokyo**_

The gang is still enjoying the whole Sunday morning. Kagari and Chariot are both enjoying eating macarons. Dead Master and Yomi also ate sandwiches that Kagari and Chariot made. They were sitting on the bench as they watch a 2-on-2 basketball game. It was Mato and BRS against Yuu and STR as the former is on the offense, with Mato dribbling the ball. Yuu sets sight on defending Mato so she can't even make a move. BRS and STR locked their eyes on each other as the former thinks of a way how to get past of her opponent in order to make her shot.

BRS gave a signal to Mato, the latter noticing an opening. BRS quickly outwitted STR and when Mato saw this, she did an unusual flashy pass as she spins around and did the throw. Seeing this, BRS jumped and does an alley-oop dunk.

"Yes! Another one!" Mato exclaimed, satisfied on the play she made.

BRS ran over and gave Mato a high five. "Excellent pass, Mato. You should do that more often."

The other 4 girls watched the whole scene. Both Yomi and Dead Master observed with awe in their faces, realizing that these two can be a formidable team. Both Kagari and Chariot are speechless, making the latter choked while eating some macarons then Kagari gave her water to force her food through her stomach. Good thing that she drank it and she sigh in relief. The bottom line is, they also enjoyed what they're watching.

Yuu, due to fatigue, is gasping for air. She can't believe of the chemistry between Mato and BRS. "Wow, they're really hard to beat."

"Hey, Yuu. We can still beat them. Oh yeah, I have a plan." STR replied with a smile.

Yuu stared at her. "What plan?" She wondered what STR meant.

Yuu leads the charge, handling the ball. Mato is guarding her. Yuu knows that her friend is a good basketball player but she needs to outwit the so-called the "First Year Ace." BRS is also defending STR in the paint as they lock their eyes on each other while Yuu is dribbling the ball. _"Do you think this will work, STR? Alright, here it goes!"_

Yuu makes a move in order to break Mato's defense. She had a hard time but she made a crossover move and managed to outwit Mato and when she entered the paint, she passed the ball to STR. STR gets it and holds the ball as she faces BRS one-on-one. They clashed with swords and arms in their countless battles in the Otherworld, but in the real world, this is different. STR is a fast learner that she learned how to play basketball, but despite of being the same height as Yuu, she decided to play center due to her power and sheer, well, strength. The Yuu lookalike tries to get near to the basket. She tried to use her body in order to push BRS but she knows the risk of being called for a foul so she never forced herself. She did a spin move and she did with success, getting away from BRS. And she finishes the play with a two-handed jam.

Yuu came forward to STR. "Monster slam, sis! Freakin' monster! So small yet so strong!"

STR smiled and the two shared a sisfist. "Gotcha."

Mato and BRS also watched them. "I can't believe that STR can be like that, even she has huge arms when she's in battle."

BRS noted. "I really had a hard time beating her in our world since she's strong in her own right. But if you ask me, maybe she should play center even she's a midget."

Mato responds with oddity because she saw BRS grinned. "Uh, Rock. Centers are known for their size and they should dominate the game. But why count STR?"

"Mato, one of the big factors of the center is to defend the paint: get rebounds, draw fouls, block shots and even score the basket inside." BRS explained. "Ben Wallace comes to mind since he's a defensive player and 6'9 but guess what: he's playing at center. That explains the difference."

Mato thought a bit and remembers how Ben Wallace's style of play. "Oh I see. LeBron James is fast and strong yet he's 6'8 and Kevin Durant is 6'9 yet plays as a forward and a guard. But still, I disagree."

"But for me, abilities do matter. Then goes teamwork." BRS remarked. The 4 girls on the hardcourt heard each other's growls on their stomachs, feeling hunger. The 4 chuckled in embarrassment because they need food to eat.

"Come on, let's eat. I'm hungry." Mato told everyone.

"Same here." BRS replied. Yuu and STR nodded in agreement as they went back to the bench.

The gang is starting to eat lunch. They say their graces and they began to eat. Mato had her bento box while Yomi, Dead Master, Kagari and Chariot had plenty of food with some sweets like cakes and even macarons, which the two yellow-haired girls love to crave. BRS, however, had a simple meal: a tonkatsu-styled chicken fillet with garlic rice. As they were eating, Yuu started a conversation.

"Hey Mato, just wait and I'll be part of the basketball team! Just need more warm-up and more practice then I'm all set!" Yuu told them.

"Let Arata-sempai think about it. But first of all, you need to work hard. Rock said that you had potential." Mato said.

"Rock-chan, thanks for all of this. I can never play well without your help." Yuu said.

"Well, don't mention it." Rock replied. I've noticed at first that you're part of the basketball team so it seemed to me that I need to help you. And I did."

Mato turned to STR who is eating her lunchbox. "Hey, STR." The white-haired girl caught Mato's attention.

"You really dunked HARD, you know that. How does it feel?" Mato inquired.

"No comment about that." STR shrugged. "But to be honest, it felt good… a little bit."

"Only a little?" Mato raised an eyebrow. BRS just laughs at STR's answer. Then she turned to Mato.

"That alley-oop pass you did was great. Now you're starting to act like a REAL point guard, and not much of a ballhogger." BRS commented.

"I was a bit uneasy when Arata-sempai always relies on me. I know that basketball is a team sport and I need my teammates in order to win a game. I fully realize that I should never push myself too much." Mato told her.

"If you want to be the best, you should not always play selfishly. Heck, Rukawa is somewhat like Michael Jordan, but he's no MJ." BRS told Mato, referencing a manga about basketball.

"Wait, Jordan is Greatest of All Time but-"

"He also passes. If it's not for Phil Jackson's triangle offense, he and even Kobe won't be the guys that we know today." BRS explained, including one of the most effective offensives strategies in the history of the game itself.

"Heh, that's what you get on watching TV and surfing the net with all basketball related stuff, which I'm also doing it. And then you went 'coach mode' and taught me those moves. Especially those flashy passes." Mato said. She even cited that she is a Ricky Rubio fangirl after she watched his games and most of his flashy passes.

"Squealing on that Ricky boy again? I get it." BRS replied with a chuckle. "But you know why the best point guards have those cool and flashy passes? It's because they have better court vision and they always make sure that they can make a successful play. And he or she makes sure that their teammates can score the basket." BRS noted, due to the fact that the two girls watched games that features some of the best point guards in the league.

"Oh yeah, I agree on that, Rock. You can even beat my one of my seniors since you don't need a springboard to do a dunk! But actually, being a team player is very nice." Mato said, recalling BRS doing a free throw line dunk. Both the girls laughed, while Chariot joined in and said to them.

"I'm not into basketball talk but it seems Mato-chan is beginning to elevate her game not only because of BRS but also because of Shizuka-san, your other personal trainer." Chariot told her.

"Hehe, I would never forget about Shizuka-san, especially she is also friends with Rock, and currently working in her coaching staff. She's like another mother to me." Mato said.

"You what this means, Mato?" Yomi inquired "You're becoming better than ever! And I'm so happy for you and Rock-chan." The green-eyed girl with glasses remarked.

"Yeah! And you know what this means?" Chariot mused.

"What?" Both Mato and BRS looked at her.

Chariot cheerfully chanted as she looked on Mato. "M-V-P! M-V-P! M-VP!"

Mato chuckled in embarrassment but all of the girls also join the chanting. As she looked on BRS, she can't help but to frown a little bit since she also joined in the chant. "Oh, come on Rock. You too?" And after that they rang a loud applause as they cheer Mato up.

"H-hey, thanks but it's too early for that? I need to work hard and play hard. But you know I wanna hold a championship trophy so an MVP is a bonus." Mato told them.

Yuu exclaimed. "Yeah! We go for the championship! That's all it matters."

STR looked at Yuu. And unexpectedly, she smiled a bit in agreement. Yuu noticed this and she also smiled.

Yomi told Yuu in response. "As far as I've known, your basketball team wanted to be champions."

"Yomi, to be honest, a championship is much worth than winning an MVP award." Dead Master noted. And Yomi nodded in agreement. After this, they bought chuckled followed by Yuu, BRS, and Mato. It seemed that they enjoyed a good time together. BRS began to spoke.

"We should make a new topic instead." BRS said. And everyone is in silence. BRS took a breath and she began to speak.

"Everyone, it's been 2 months have passed since me, Dead Master, STR, and Chariot, went here and lived in the real world. I know some of here had a hard time catching up yet it was worth it. All of you, I'm very glad of meeting you girls, of course that includes Mato." Mato can't help but to smile on what her Otherworld counterpart said. When BRS finally understood Mato's resolve, the said 'destroyer', who has bent to kill her own kind in order to 'free' their real world selves from their suffering, has become the 'lightbringer' in the Other World. And when she lived in the real world, she became cheerful and selfless to others.

BRS continued. "Being an Otherworlder is more like battles, being connected to our real world selves, and carrying the suffering of our real world selves and all that. All I did was to kill, believing that I can set them 'free', but I was wrong. On the other hand, everything has changed and it's all because of Mato." She looked on Mato. And then Mato responded with a smile.

Then Rock continued. "I fully understand… what Mato meant. Sorrow, grief, suffering. It really hurts us all. But that is also part of being human. And because of Mato, we can finally know and feel what is like to being human; to know and feel people, and even how to endure struggles. We're not 'tools' or 'avatars' anymore; we are starting to be like them! And it feels good… and peaceful. Besides, my former enemies and now becoming my allies, and best of all, friends. And… as I look up in the blue sky and breathe the fresh air, it seems this world is beautiful. I fully realized that there is more to life than what we are doing."

"Even I miss home, I'm happy that I'm with Yomi. And, the rest is history." Dead Master noted.

"Thanks to Mato-chan and Rock, and with some help from Yomi and Dead, I've finally learned how to understand everyone, including Kagari. If I'm going to fight, it's more like on protecting everyone from now on, including my real world self. Thanks for everything." Chariot said as a sign of thanks to both Mato and BRS.

"Well, don't mention it, Chariot. You're not even dangerous at all if you ask me. You're even nice at all and you're all good at cooking." Mato told her.

BRS smiled when she heard Mato's comment. As she looked again on them, she was relieved on the inside. She was happy that not only she became Mato's friend and companion but others as well, including Mato's friends and even her former enemies. As she looks up in the sky, she remembers those memories, even the painful ones. Everything: From her journeys in her world, to defeating her friends' other selves due to saving them from their pain until she is on the point of being an 'insane' killing machine bent on destroying their world, to recognizing Mato and saving her from her own darkness, and finally, BRS and Mato changed everything: a cataclysmic event that shook the foundations of the Otherworld. And that also leads to the defeat of Saya Irino and her Other Self, Black Gold Saw, who were clearly in the wrong, yet they managed to help Mato and her friends to finally end a rampaging threat which it will cause the destruction of the Otherworld. Until the time that BRS and her friends have decided to stay with the real world with their real world selves, leading them to start their new lives. For BRS, it's more like a breath of fresh air for her.

* * *

><p>When she returned home, she felt that she have returned her own peaceful atmosphere. For BRS, it was a lot of fun happened a few hours ago. She was tired, yet it was worth it as she sighed with a smile on her lips. For her, she needs to go home, watch TV as pastime, and needs to go to sleep at 9:30pm in order to prepare for school tomorrow. But a thought came to her.<p>

"_I was a bit worried. What if Mato will be put to danger again? Who are the guys that I've fought yesterday? Thankfully, I was saved by this 'Captain America' guy but the question is… who is HE?"_

As she stepped forward to open the door, she stepped on an unknown object. She felt that the object is wrapped and when she looked down on it, it was a package. She picks it up and tempted to open it but she decided to open it as she enters inside her apartment. She sat into her couch, still holding the package. She opened the package and it shows of some sort of device; it was none other than a communicator that was the size and specs of an iPhone 4S.

"_It looks like an iPhone. But how?" _BRS wondered.

Then she noticed something aside from the said communicator. It was a note. She also picked up and read it.

_I give you this communicator._

_Through this, you can call me anytime you want or if you need help._

_Just keep it at all times, ok? _

_And yeah, I want to meet you personally at your home after your class. _

_See you tomorrow, Ms. Hoshioka Kuroi a.k.a. Black Rock Shooter!_

_~Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America_

_P.S. We're now even._

After reading this, she was surprised that the mysterious man who helped her has a real name after all. Tomorrow is school day so not only she'll prepare for it but she will finally meet the man known as Captain America. And hopefully, that man will answer so many questions lingering in her mind, especially those who attacked her.

She puts the communication device to her desk and goes to the kitchen to cook some food for dinner.

* * *

><p>Shizuka is on the balcony of her own mansion, seeing the bright lights of Tokyo. For a teacher herself, a weekend is good for rest and fulfilling some errands in order to prepare for tomorrow's school hours. And since she is the coach, she needs to watch DVDs of their games to review them, figuring what's wrong on that said game, study and finding the flaws. Coaches like her needed these in order to help their players to prepare themselves for the next game.<p>

She took a deep breath since it relieved some stress for her. She's a bit tired yet it's all worth it. As she went back inside her bedroom, her cellphone rang. She picked her phone and answered.

"Hello?"

'_It's been 5 years since your last mission and then you resigned. I'm glad that we had a conversation again, Shizuka Amano.'_

"Well, Agent Coulson. Why am I not surprised?" she mused.

* * *

><p>This is the end of chapter 6.<p>

I made Dead Master as a mangaka and a tokusatsu and comic book fan because of one reason: it's a reference to Miyuki Sawashiro (Yomi/DM's voice actor) and her involvement in the Kamen Rider franchise. Also, the names Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich are the creators of a Marvel character (hint: he rides a motorcycle); and it's also a hint for my other future projects. And yes, I want to include Agent Coulson in my story because he is awesome! Next chapter is that a part of Shizuka's past will be revealed and other developments.

Now here is my answer on why I chose Captain America over other comic book heroes that I want to crossover with Black Rock Shooter: Not only he adorned a star on his costume but there is something more than that. He has no superhuman powers (yet he has the Super-Soldier serum) and he wields a shield yet most of all: his character. He is not even a dark, brooding superhero (if you count his Ultimate version being a prick being one). He is not like Tony Stark/Iron Man who is a genius and rich yet he's an alcoholic at first or Thor being a Norse god of thunder yet he was an arrogant prince at first; Steve Rogers is a weak, frail, skinny little guy who wants to serve his country but he has a good heart (one of the best underdog stories in comics); I love the quote said by Dr. Erskine in the film, _"No matter what happens tomorrow you must promise me one thing, that you must stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but...** a good man**."_

Then the rest is history: he turned into America's first Super Soldier who takes on many villains including the Red Skull, his arch-nemesis. And after he was frozen and taken into the modern world, he became the field leader of the Avengers. Most are wondering why agents, assassins, mutants, gods and even deities listen to him? Because he has a bigger heart, bigger courage and a bigger will. He's pure. He stands for what's good and right at all times, no compromises. And even though he wears a red, white, and blue costume, he believes that compassion means strength and he fights for freedom and liberty, not on blind loyalty; he fights for the American Dream. At first, the BRS in the anime version is more like a mindless juggernaut bent on killing their own kind, setting them 'free' from their suffering and pain of their real world selves, which Mato opposed this, leading to the defeat of Insane Black Rock Shooter and the cataclysm that changed the Otherworld itself by making the two worlds merge. Upon living in the real world, and finally meeting Steve, BRS will learn what true freedom is and what is the value of strength, and what Cap meant about 'fighting for what is right'. And during the course of the story, it will have some impact for the other characters.

So please read and review. I still need to work on this! Thanks and see ya!


	7. Behind the Backdoor

**Author's Note: **2 weeks have been long, eh? For me, perhaps. April is the start of the summer here and thankfully, I have bought an advanced ticket for the upcoming Avengers film (yes, 3 weeks to go!) and I was getting along with the hype! Oh yeah, Marvel and Disney have announced the sequel to Captain America: TFA to be released in April 2014 so I will wait for 2 years to watch it!

In this chapter, Shizuka and Yuuka are the main focus (including Shizuka's conversation with Agent Coulson). Yuuka's identity will finally be revealed. Anyways, enjoy this chapter!

Black Rock Shooter and its characters belongs to Huke.

Captain America is the property of Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, and Marvel Entertainment.

* * *

><p>"Well, Agent Coulson. Why am I not surprised?"<p>

The man known as Agent Coulson began to reply. _'I'm calling you since I'm your longtime friend when you are with S.H.I.E.L.D. as an operative five years ago. I just want to know on what you are doing right now.'_

"Oh come on, now you're spying on me, bugging on my personal life?" Shizuka joked. "Anyway, I'm very fine here. A decent yet kick ass job since I love basketball. Caring for my players, teaching them how to play well and how to be women, you name it."

'_I appreciate that since you have experience, just like a mother who cares for her children. Are you now married?'_ Agent Coulson inquired.

"What? No! I-I'm not married yet since it's hard to find a boyfriend due to my schedule." Shizuka said.

Coulson chuckled _'Pardon me for that. Now, we go on to the next topic. And that involves one of your students.'_

A bit surprised, Shizuka have changed her mood into a serious one. "What? Is there something wrong?"

'_Before I'll tell you the whole story, let me give you a brief summary that will lead to that. Shizuka, I just need your patience so listen carefully.'_

"What? That doesn't make sense!" Shizuka exclaimed. But having a calm and cool demeanor creates patience so instead of bursting herself; she took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Fine. I'm listening. Go on, Phil."

'_Thanks.' _Phil Coulson said. And he began to tell the whole story.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Secret HYDRA base<strong>_

_**Outskirts of Nagano**_

Yuuka Shinzo is still sitting on her chair. As she was sitting, thoughts run on her head on the progress of her sector. The Red Skull put her on this position since he trusted her and she should never break his trust. Not only that, she had two thorns on her side: the Otherworlder known as Black Rock Shooter and the Star-Spangled Avenger, Captain America. It would give her a hard time because if these two will work together, she was sure that they will thwart her plans and completely defeating her, which is she would never allow it to happen. But she is also prepared so she should not need to worry at all.

'_It's time to set up the cards.'_ She thought with a smirk.

She stood from her chair and with waive on her hand, she opened a portal. The portal was like a mix of red and white energy. Her normal orange eyes turned from normal into ringed, making her eyes seemingly… otherworldly. She entered to the portal and it disappeared in a flash.

Yuuka exited from the portal as she reached her destination and the portal was closed. The whole room is full of controls, computers, cameras and other communication devices; it is also a massive complex. In other words, she was in a massive airborne ship. It was none other than her personalized Terror Carrier called the 'Nehushtan'.

She surveyed the whole deck; most of the crew and staff are doing their own jobs. What's also intriguing is most of the crew are composed of Otherworlders, so even most of them are like teens in their looks but they are also intelligent and powerful beings. One crew member came to her and Yuuka turned her head to face her. The crew member is a female with the looks of a teenager. She had pinkish eyes and almost like other Otherworlders, her eyes are also ringed.

"Lady Serpent." The crew member said as she kneeled before her.

"What is your status?" Yuuka, who was called as 'Lady Serpent' by the crew member, asked.

"Everything is going well, my lady. Our forces are still mobilizing, seizing other areas to set up outposts. On the other hand, our soul harvesting operations are all clear and no glitches. Any signs of hostiles are either terminated or better, captured." The crew member reported.

"Good. That's very good." Yuuka remarked.

The crew member continued. "As of now, we are currently reaching 85% on the number of souls collected, primarily our goal. There are some complications due to some resistance but they were taken care of."

"To be honest, everything that happened in our world has a big influence in the real world, even there are some differences." Yuuka explained. "We are supposed to be supernatural beings that carry the sorrow and grief of our real world selves and killing us will set them free from their grief yet they'll completely lose their memories on something or someone which is the cause of their pain, even their closest friends. 2 months is very fast in the real world, but in this world, it's very long for things to change."

"It all changed. That's because Otherworlders like us can also feel like human beings, thanks to the human named Kuroi Mato and her Other Self, Black Rock Shooter, right?" The crew member said.

"Exactly." Yuuka continued. "Because of them, we are not treated as drugs or antidotes or tools made to carry their burdens and awaken our powers. In fact, we can do it on ourselves by using our willpower. There are fewer rulers in this realm but they were weak. All weak. And lastly, when an Otherworlder dies, it doesn't even affect the real world self anymore; he or she'll just turn into a soul. And those souls are waiting to be reborn as new being."

"And even you count Dragon Slayer as a weakling?" The crew member smirked.

"That woman? Heh, she would do nothing but just to sit and watch. She is a powerful sorceress and a master in swordsmanship. But she would never go to war unless if I attack her first; just sitting and watch while I'm doing my work. HYDRA is not only expandable in the real world but also in our world; I brought HYDRA here in the first place. Most of you weaklings have joined the organization's cause; some of you have set foot in the real world. If Red Skull thinks he's a god, then why wouldn't I?" Yuuka said in an insulting tone to the tyrant. "By the way, things are getting messy when Captain America entered the scene and helped that wretched twintailed bitch. Even though, I'm always prepared for the worst-case scenario."

"It seems that you're not only busy in the real world but aside from expanding HYDRA's influence, you're preparing yourself for battle, my lady. Just like old times, including having encounters with your real world self. But this is different game, isn't it?" The crew member inquired.

"Of course, I am." Yuuka replied. "No matter if things can get out of hand, they're becoming interesting to me. And yes, the game has changed and the new pieces on the board are all in place. I doubt the Captain will call the Avengers for help, but I'm expecting that Black Rock Shooter will be his greatest ally." Then she chuckled. "When everything is in place, I'm expecting for their defeat. And I'll make sure: if the Red Skull will get the real world on his hands, then this world will be mine!" Yuuka is confident on all of this. She acknowledged that Mato and BRS changed their world for the better, but instead of thanking them, she had animosity; an animosity that can even shook the two worlds.

Another crew member spoke aloud as she looks on something on her monitor. "My lady! We have detected some coordinates. It is a specific location, 200 miles from here."

Yuuka looked at the screen.

"It is more like a castle. Medieval structure in Otherworld terms." The second crew member reported.

"Black Gold Saw's lair…" Yuuka stated.

Then she gave an order. "Set course on the said location. I will lead 2 attack squads and 1 squad of Soul Harvesters. Send two Viper Jets as protection and backup. E.T.A. 30 minutes. We'll begin the assault on Gold Saw's lair. Make sure that we will collect many souls as possible for our other operation."

As response, one crew member starts to relay Chief Yuuka's order. The troops and the other units are beginning to prepare themselves for a battle. The weapons and other materials are now in place.

"And what will we do with Gold Saw, my lady?" one crew member inquired.

"We will capture her. And make sure that she will join our cause. If she's defiant, then…"

"Eliminate her?" the crew member noted.

Yuuka hit the mark as she smirked, "Precisely."

Then she began to make a statement. "This is just the beginning. They will feel the wrath of the beast. And they will know why they called me… 'Phantom Serpent.' HAIL HYDRA."

The crews began to stand and they all shouted. "HAIL HYDRA!"

Yuuka is on the balcony of her ship. As she surveyed the whole place from the rainbow colored sky, she still saw most of the parts of the Otherworld still being black and white, a barren wasteland. She also marveled at her own ship. Most of the Otherworlders have willpower human emotions and desires due to that cataclysm. Not only magic was expanded but their realm finally had easy access to science and technology, mostly from the real world. No wonder why Yuuka herself managed to build a ship like this, including powerful weapons, aircraft, armored units and other vehicles; even she had a powerful fortress located on the far side of the Otherworld. Not only she's a powerful Otherworlder but she is also a technological genius and a born leader and she made many followers to help her on her cause. But for Yuuka, she never wanted to thank Mato and BRS for what happened to all of her kind because she had hatred on those two.

'_The Nehusthan. The name of this ship was based from a certain object. According to the Hebrew Bible, it is a sacred object in the form of a snake of brass upon a pole. The priestly source of the Torah says that Moses used a "fiery serpent" to cure the Israelites from snakebites. This is as a means for salvation for them. '_She explained on her thoughts.

'_Kuroi Mato. Black Rock Shooter. You've changed this world for all of us.' _

But she clenched her hand with pure anger and hatred.

'_But _this_ is not the world that _I_ wanted! Most of our kind are like sheep gone astray. They need someone who has power. They need someone to rule over them. Someone like… me.'_

As she looked over the barren wasteland she had conviction in her eyes.

'I'll continue on what I am doing. I'll make sure that I'll better than everyone, even the Red Skull. I will be the savior of this godforsaken world. I will make this world into a newfound glory. I will… change everything with my hand!'

Then a few minutes later, she saw a lush yet colorful landscape, which is their destination. She smirked on what she saw. But what she caught her interest is… that the place is more… colorful.

* * *

><p>Shizuka was sitting on her chair. Her conversation with Agent Coulson lasted for half an hour. She kept on gathering her thoughts; most of them, however, have troubled her.<p>

_**Thirty minutes ago**_

_Agent Coulson started. "It all happened since Captain Steve Rogers and Agent Carter have received orders from Director Fury a few days ago. They were sent to Japan to investigate and foil a looming threat. According to our intel, it was HYDRA."_

_"'Cut off one head, two more shall take its place.' I've fought those bastards five years ago. They never stop, didn't they?" Shizuka inquired, remember her days as an agent._

_"We detected HYDRA presence yesterday afternoon. One female agent attempted to kidnap a schoolgirl. The schoolgirl had blue eyes, she's 13 years of age, had short twintailed hair and also short in height." Coulson informed._

_"Wait a minute: short twintailed hair, blue eyes." She thought. "Is the girl's name Kuroi Mato?"_

_"You know her?" Coulson asked Shizuka._

_"Yes, she was one of my students when I was the coach in their basketball team." Shizuka informed. "But that was 2 years ago. But the question is: why would HYDRA wanted to kidnap her?"_

_"I have no idea, but Captain Rogers and Agent Carter will continue to investigate and they will foil the HYDRA insurgency afterwards." Coulson told her. And then he continued. "At the course of Mato Kuroi's abduction, some girl tried to chase the insurgents. She had long ponytail, had the same age as any schoolgirl, mostly 15. And she had… unusual blue eyes. She goes on the name of… Hoshioka Kuroi."_

_Upon hearing this, Shizuka smiled.** 'You sure are really helping people, Black Rock Shooter, even your human best friend, which you and her changed that world a few months ago. I'm very proud of you.' **Shizuka thought to herself. "Oh yeah, Hoshioka is also one of my students and at the same time, she works for me as an assistant coach and trainer in my current basketball team." She told Coulson, still bringing him more information._

_"That mysterious girl kept on chasing the kidnappers using a motorcycle until they went to a warehouse. Then she was suddenly attacked by HYDRA units. But that Hoshioka girl was… something. She was a formidable fighter who managed to beat most of them, including a number of HYDRA foot soldiers. She wears an unusual outfit which consists of a coat and also uses a sword and a powerful cannon that was heavy as her weapons; that cannon can fire 20 bullets in a second and can perform charged energy blasts, which she managed to destroy 3 HYDRA Power Armors."_

_Shizuka nodded as she marveled on BRS's talents. For her, she is the epitome of girl badassery._

_"However, she was nearly outnumbered as reinforcements have arrived. She was close to be exterminated."_

_"What? She's an Otherworlder yet she was outgunned? I see. I know that they're powerful beings yet after that cataclysm, most of them are becoming more human." Shizuka nodded as she kept on listening._

_But here is the good news: someone saved her."_

_Shizuka's eyed widened when she knew that someone had saved her. "And who is that guy?"_

_"It was Captain Steve Rogers himself. Then the two worked together to eliminate the HYDRA threat. It was the first time that they meet yet it was a dire situation. Also, Captain Rogers saved Mato Kuroi. And after a brief conversation, they parted ways. And this ends my story." Coulson answered._

_Shizuka was surprised. She knows that Black Rock Shooter is a girl from another world who has a fragile looking body yet ridiculously strong yet she can't believe the fact that the man who saved her was none other than the man who wields a shield which adorned a star of it. She never expected that one of her Otherworld friends would be saved and fought alongside with a legend. Someone like Captain America._

_"So that's how it is. It seems that the two of them can fight these HYDRA scumbags, even with or without my help."_

_Coulson noticed this and he asked her. "So… in order to protect Mato Kuroi, you will come back?"_

_Shizuka thought for a moment, about her decision; a decision that would give up her means of living a normal life in order to protect Mato. She knew the dangers or the consequences, but for a former agent herself, she also knew the risks, because when you're next in line, you have to arm yourself because you are alone and no one else can save you: that is what it takes to be a secret agent, even though if it was S.H.I.E.L.D._

_"I'll have to think about it. After all this stuff, it seems it's hard or not hard for me to come back." Shizuka replied._

_"Take it if you need. We will wait. You can call us anytime. I'll give you Sharon's number." Coulson said._

_"Ok, thanks." Shizuka thanked Coulson. And she ended the call. Seconds later, she received a text message from Agent Coulson and it was Sharon Carter's number._

* * *

><p>She stood up from her chair. She gets a bottle of water from her cooler and went to the balcony, not only to replenish herself but to get fresh air from the cool wind. Agent Coulson's words still rings to her head: Mato's life is in danger. And since HYDRA is known for its resilience, they would never stop until they reached their objectives. After 10 long years, she had to leave the past and move on. But because of these circumstances, she decided to face them with resolve and great courage. She had a hard time: training, going into missions, protecting innocent people, and even killing off targets, which it also hurts her. But on the bright side, there is something that she would never forget: fighting alongside with the "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" and other known remarkable people superpowers and other amazing talents; and it was a great honor for her to fight with them. As she looked up at the stars at night, a smile plastered on her face when she found out that Black Rock Shooter and Captain America are fighting together. And she sighed in relief.<p>

"_Who would have thought? The Star-Spangled Man meets The Star Who Shoots through the Darkness. An Avenger and a Shooter. Master and student. They will be a formidable team like no other. Guess I should help out anyway."_

Then she heads into her bed as she goes to sleep.

* * *

><p>End of chapter 7.<p>

Now you guys have an idea why Yuuka will be a formidable villain on the next chapters. On Shizuka, I will also put focus on her as she will play a vital role that will impact the lives of Mato, BRS and even their friends. I'm going to continue writing this as I wait for the much anticipated Avengers film!

Read+Review! And I will see you later. :)


	8. Two Stars Meet Again

**Author's Note: **Well, I'm back again. It's been 2 weeks and I'm working on later chapters. It's really hard to make it up yet it was also fun in my part. Don't worry, I'll continue to keep on writing my story. Oh yeah, this is Saya's first appearance and it can be served as a teaser that Black Gold Saw will also have an appearance in the near future. Still, I'm working on later chapters. And the release of "The Avengers" is next week so it's better that not only I'm gonna enjoy the film but to also get more ideas.

Black Rock Shooter belongs to Huke.

Captain America belongs to Marvel Entertainment.

* * *

><p>Today is Monday morning. Well, it's a brand new day for many, especially for Black Rock Shooter. And as usual, like everyone else, she is preparing herself and did some morning rituals. She got up, took a shower, dressed up, cooked and ate some food, preparing her bags, and went off. Then she headed off to school.<p>

School, at first for BRS and her Otherworld friends, wasn't safe. When you are new, most of the students and other guys and girls will ask many questions everything about you. Good thing that BRS went through it, thanks to being easily adapted in the real world with some help from Mato. Even Dead Master and Chariot are having a hard time catching even they use their magic to hide their otherworldly features, so Yomi and Kagari helped them out and the two Otherworlders showed their talents that are applicable in the real world. But the biggest help of all is none other than Saya since she knows about the Otherworld and knew how they interact with them. At first, she was like a cunning extremist who manipulates the students, for the sake of preserving and protecting the Otherworld, but it's now a thing of the past.

She reached her destination: the school where her real world friends stayed. She parked her scooter in the parking lot, gets her bags and walked on. She saw Mato, Yomi and Kagari along with Dead Master, STR, and Chariot who were in their school uniforms. She walked on them and greeted.

"Hi, girls." Rock said.

"Hi, Rock." Mato greeted back.

"Hey, it seems everyone here is waiting for me." BRS looked at everyone.

"Yep." STR noted with a smile.

Yuu turned to STR since she noticed something. "It seems you're in a good mood. I noticed that smile in your face."

"On the contrary, Yuu, it's been a long time since I lived in the real world. And that's when you and I switched places months ago." STR noted.

"Yeah right, and I'm slowly turning into you when I'm in the Otherworld being with Saya-sensei's other self, keeps on fighting and dumping up some dead bodies." Yuu told her. "Then I got in a fight with BRS in her _insane_ self, smashing her and bashing her like some big guy with muscles!" And she turned to BRS when she said that.

BRS looked at Yuu. She remembered the time when she went _insane_ and went to a rampage, causing destruction in her world. She almost killed STR, which it was actually Yuu from the real world until Mato intervened using all of her willpower, stopping her completely. Instead of being mad, she smiled at the tiny girl.

"You know, that was a thing of the past, Yuu. Thanks to Mato from snapping me back. And yeah, there is no need for you to be down anymore since both you and STR lived in Saya-san's former home. You've endured some pain and misery before meeting Saya-san, but things have changed when you return here. And STR was right; you have us, your friends." BRS noted.

Upon hearing this, Yuu took a sigh of relief. "Well, it seems that you're learning a lot on how to live a normal life here. You're becoming a good person each and everything. The credit goes to Mato anyhow. And by the way… thanks a lot." Yuu noted. But STR gave her real world self a cheerful smile. And she smiled back since she fully understood what STR meant.

"Honestly, it was STR who did this all along. Everything would not be all right without your help." Mato noted.

STR looked at Mato and she smiled. "Thanks. I have never seen anyone as brave as you. I was honored that I became your friend."

"Oh come on, you're still the STR who is cheerful and energetic, polishing balls and always there cheering for us in a game. Even those are fake memories; you're still the girl that I call you with the name 'Yuu'." Mato told STR.

"Well, don't mention it. At least I got back in my original form, good thing is I and the REAL Yuu lived in Saya's former home. And she was…changed. A lot." STR noted. And Yuu nodded in cheerfully response.

Mato looked at the clock; it's almost 10 minutes before 8am. "Alright, girls. Let's go to our classrooms since we don't want to be late."

Everyone nodded in agreement and the gang started to enter the campus.

* * *

><p><em><strong>At the gym<strong>_

After class, some of the girls stepped in the gym for practice sessions, mostly from the basketball team. Of course, Yuu and Mato were always present since they're part of it and Mato was their star player. But things get from complicated to being well when STR and BRS joined the basketball club; STR being the scout, observing every player's move, seeing mistakes and correcting them. BRS refused to be part of the team despite of Mato's pleading; she decided to be part of the coaching staff as an assistant coach and trainer and she'll just play ball for free time.

Arata Kohata is surveying the on how the team worked in this practice time; a practice game occurs between the two groups. She always saw Mato doing her own thing. Arata had confidence on Mato and of course, the whole team. Looking on her left is STR, who lives under the civilian name of Kyouko Renji, leaning on the wall as an observer. Then she noticed an error when she saw one player doing a bad defense on her opponent, and she needs some help.

She made a few steps and called out the player, "Hey, you over there!"

The player, who had black hair, looked at the scout. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Come over here." STR ordered.

The player came and stepped forward. STR sighed as she began to speak to the player.

"It's been a week and even though you are good at shooting and inside scoring, you're still doing terrible defense. I know that basketball is a team sport, but the team should be dedicated on both, offense and defense."

"I know that, Ma'am. But shooting is my only finesse. I know it's hard but-"

"But you have to do it because it's also needed. Not only that you're going to shoot but you're going to defend." Yet STR smiled. "I'm not being harsh, but I just want to help you out. It seems you need to improve on your defense. It's better that we should have another all-around player in this team, if you know what I mean."

The player returned the smile. "Well, ok! Thanks a lot, Kyouko-san."

"All right, hoopster. Go to Hoshioka and tell her what I told you. Now move!"

The player nodded and went on her way to BRS. Arata came forward as she faced the white haired Yuu lookalike.

"Well, it seems you're doing well on being the scout of our team, Kyouko-chan." Arata began.

"Uh, well, thanks a lot, Kohata-sempai." STR said in reply.

"I can't even imagine why would Yuu recommend someone who has white hair and has the same face as hers, but… I was impressed on your observation skills. You're awesome if you ask me." Arata remarked.

STR chuckled. "I was dragged here by Mato and Yuu here, but to be honest, it seems that I like to be here."

Arata patted STR on the shoulder. "You're really a great friend, Kyouko-chan. You're even just like Yuu." Then Arata looked at the court where she saw her players. "It seems were going to have a great game next week."

"You're right about that." STR nodded in agreement.

BRS was also seen on the other side of the court, who is also watching some players doing the passing drills. She spoke aloud, clapping. "Keep it up, ladies. I know you can do it. Because being a good player needs to play unselfishly so passing is also important. Come on!"

"Coach!" the player with the black hair called.

Rock turned and faces her. "Yes, what is it?"

"Coach Kyouko told me to look for you. She noticed that I need improvement on defense and she told that I should get help from you." The player informed the twintailed girl.

Then she called the other players. "All right, that's it girls. You can all rest and after 20 minutes, we'll go for inside shooting." She ordered.

The players registered the order. "Yes, Coach!" And they went to back to the benches.

BRS turned to the player and thought for a moment. "So… Kyouko-sempai told you that you lacked defense and you need my help. So what's your name again?"

The player nodded in response. "Reika, Coach."

"Ok, Reika. I know you're a good shooter. I know you are good but there are times that you should put your ego out and be valuable in the team by also relying on your teammates. My defensive training would be harsh." BRS said in a serious tone, yet she formed a smile on her lips. "Are you up to it?"

Reika blinked a few times at the way that BRS spoke, she realized that she had a trust in her. She replied with determination in her eyes. "Count me in, Coach!"

"All right, it's time to get to work!" BRS said.

And the personal drill had started. For BRS, this is getting hectic yet it's ok for her since she will do anything to help and she was ready for it. As Mato turned her head, she saw her two Otherworld friends doing their own part. She knows that the Yuu who is pretending to be her childhood friend in the first place is none other than STR but BRS is one of the reasons why she is happy inside: happy that 2 of her Otherworld friends helping others.

"Hey, Kuroi! Stop looking and focus!" her senior teammate called her out.

"O-Ok!" Mato snapped back as she continued to focus on playing ball as part of the practice routine.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Dawn Counselor Office<strong>_

Inside, there was a woman sitting on her desk, sipping her coffee. She is on her mid-twenties, short black hair, brown eyes, and has a "beauty mark" on the lower left of her face. She was none other than Saya Irino, who works as a guidance counselor in Mato's school. As a guidance counselor, her job is to cope with the problems of the students, helping them out. For Saya, this is a better occupation and it's fitting for her. And of course, coffee is one beverage that she likes.

But on the other hand, she also had a secret; only Mato and her friends know about that. Just like them, she also had an Other Self: a long haired woman who had horns with red tips and her hands are skeletal but colored red. She also holds a sword which she named it as "King Saw." Black Gold Saw was her name, and Saya met her due to STR's power. At first, both of them have tasked to protect the Otherworld; Saya is giving the students an emotional distress (just like what she did to Arata) while Gold Saw is busy making avatars in order to make them stronger using the person's grief, powering them up in order to stop Black Rock Shooter. She is also responsible for Yomi's mental trauma, resulting to Dead Master's awakening. Gold Saw even tried to stop BRS in her Insane form yet failed; she was on the verge of her death until STR came for the save. And thanks to her newer interaction with Saya, Gold Saw became powerful as she and Saya joined the fight to stop the Insane entity, which leads to a cataclysm made by Mato and BRS to change the Otherworld. Saya was satisfied on what the two girls did returns to her normal life as usual, but she and Gold Saw are becoming closer together; even those who have stronger connections can have easy access to the Otherworld through a portal. She wanted to see Gold Saw face to face, but she can wait since her Other Self is also 'governing' her lair.

She sighed in relief as she looked up in the ceiling. It's not a sly or a manipulative smile that she made, but a smile of peace and contentment.

She thought. _"A lot of things happened in the past two months. I can't help but to thank you, Kuroi Mato and Black Rock Shooter."_

She heard the door opened and someone came in. It was none other than Yomi.

"Oh, hi there, Takanashi-san." Saya greeted.

"Hi, Saya-sensei." Yomi responded.

Saya stood up from her desk and takes a cup. She puts it in the coffee maker and she turned it on; beginning the process. The process was finished and a hot drink was made. She gave the drink to Yomi.

"Thank you so much." Yomi said.

"By the way, it's hot chocolate." Saya implied.

Yomi looked on Saya with surprise, because this is the first time that she was served something like hot chocolate. All this time she was serving coffee; one time that she kept it black and no sugar or creamer. She formed a smile on her lips in response.

"You know, Saya-sensei, this is the first time that you served me a hot chocolate drink. Again, thank you." Yomi said.

"Really, eh?" Saya looked on Yomi and smiled. "Honestly, I don't like coffee but for adults like me, I need it. It's like in my system after all."

"It's a better alternative than drinking alcohol. It's dangerous to your health." Yomi noted.

"Of course." Saya chuckled. "I never did that because only depressed people drink. If you want to be a teacher or a guidance counselor, you have to be an example to other people. You need to be a guide to them."

"Says the person who had an Other Self and uses my grief in other to awaken the other me." Yomi replied.

Saya noticed this on what Yomi said. She looked down because after all, she was right: she was the cause of Dead Master's awakening, using Yomi's pain to power her Other Self up. Because of that, Dead Master back then is another potential being bent on defeating Black Rock Shooter. Mato wanted to save Yomi but it was too late when her Other Self stabbed Dead Master, killing her and at the same time, setting Yomi free from her pain and forgets Mato. Then BRS went into being in an Insane state and starts to kill everybody but because of the power of friendship, Dead Master was revived and Yomi merged with her Other Self to help Mato and BRS to defeat the Insane entity. But for the both of them, that was a thing of the past.

Saya looked on Yomi as sadness filled her eyes. "Yomi, I'm sorry. For everything that I've done."

Yomi replied back. "I know what you mean. Don't worry about it. I forgave you."

Saya looked on Yomi.

"I don't know if I'll be mad or anything but… STR told me about everything. Mato risked everything to save me back then. But when I'm starting to remember Mato, I've finally met my Other Self and joined the fight. And the best part is… BRS and the others wanted to live in our world and tried to live normal lives. And they did." She giggled.

Saya nodded with a smile. "Glad to her about it." Something clicked on her mind and ask Yomi. "Wait, how's Dead Master? Is she doing well?"

"Well, she was trying hard to catch up in the past few days, but she's fine." Yomi cheerfully replied. "Even though she acts like an aristocrat, she's kind and caring. She joined the art club and… she did something than usual."

"And what's that?" Saya blinked.

"She draws beautifully! And not only that, she even impressed the class when she is starting to draw some 4komas and other comic strips!" Yomi exclaimed.

Upon hearing this, Saya found out something amazing: the Other Self of Yomi, who was known in the Otherworld as green-horned girl who wields a scythe and has two skulls as her pets, can be a great manga artist someday! She can't help but to be glad about it.

"So… maybe we should call her 'Manga Master' from now on?" Saya humorously inquired.

Yomi laughed at Saya's response then both girls laughed.

"Hmm, seems the main topic is me, eh?" the door opened suddenly and the laughter came to a halt when Dead Master entered the office. The two humans looked at her.

"Oh Dead-chan, I'm having a conversation with Saya-sensei. That's all." Yomi noted.

"Really?" Dead Master replied. "Hey, Yomi! The head of the art club calls us. Break time is over. We should be there in 5 minutes."

"Ok, I'm coming." Yomi said as she stood up and went on her following Dead Master for their activity. But she looked back, "Saya-sensei?"

"Yes?"

"I think you should go to the Otherworld and talk to Black Gold Saw and then ask her to visit here. It will be more fun if she is with us!" Yomi suggested with glee. Saya was surprised about this.

"Yomi, we're gonna be late!" Dead Master called her again.

"Okay, gotta go! Bye, Saya-sensei!" Yomi went in a hurry and follow Dead Master.

Saya sat on her desk as she tried to relax. She was glad that Otherworlders like BRS has stepped into the real world and lived normal lives with their human friends, but Yomi has a point after all: Gold Saw living in the real world can be fun and exciting since she's also an adult and can learn many things. For Saya, things are very different; it's been a long time that she wanted to walk with Gold Saw, either any or even both worlds. She can't help but to smile because all things are possible from now on.

"_Hmmm… maybe that's a good idea." _Saya thought to herself.

* * *

><p><em><strong>4:15pm<strong>_

_Black Rock Shooter is riding on her scooter. It's not destination is her home but she need to do something. Good thing that school ends at 4pm. It all started back when…_

_**15 minutes ago**_

_Rock was in the locker room, changing her clothes back to her school uniform. The practice sessions with the basketball club ended and for the female players, it's important for them to change their clothes. When she finished, a ringing tone buzzed; when she noticed this, she opened her bag and it was not her personal cellphone, it was something else. It was the communicator that the man known as Steve Rogers, gave it to her. She pressed the call button and began to reply._

_"Hello?" BRS responded._

_"Good thing that you answered this call, kid." Steve answered._

_"Mr. Rogers?" BRS inquired._

_"Yep. You may also know me as Captain America. I know that you want to meet me in person, and so am I. The phone that you are holding resembles an iPhone, but it's something more: it was a high-tech communication device made by S.H.I.E.L.D. for making distress call and carries a GPS system where you can track any place or any location. This may help you a lot." Steve said._

_BRS nodded. "I know. And… thanks. I can't even wait to get the answers to my questions."_

_"Patience is virtue, kid. See you there. And I almost forgot; Sharon will give you our location using the GPS feature on this phone. It will come right after this call. And… be careful." Steve told her._

_"Promise. I'll take care of myself." BRS assured._

_"Thanks." Steve ended the call._

_Right after the call ended, the GPS feature was activated. BRS was fascinated on the technology of the real world but not as much as this. She saw a map and of Tokyo and she saw a red blink on it, indicating the location. She understood this with a nod. Afterwards, she put the phone into her left pocket, packed her bags and she left the locker room._

_The two girls in the locker room spoke. "See you tomorrow, Coach!"_

_BRS turned with a smile. "Don't forget your studies and need some rest."_

_Both exclaimed, "Yes Ma'am!"_

_**'Woah, those girls are calling me Ma'am, hun? Hey, I'm not that old!'** She chuckled mentally. As she got out of the locker room, she started to run to the outskirts of the campus. She saw the whole gang there, waiting for her. Kagari and Chariot had a conversation about what they did in the cooking club, especially Chariot's superb cooking. Dead Master and Yomi are talking about their activities in the art club; but Gold Saw visiting the real world as a possibility was discussed a few hours ago; it's better that they will talk about it some other time._

_Rock rushed into them. "Girls, I need to tell something." She panted._

_"Uh, Rock. We all know that you can go home on your bike." Mato said. "But is that something important that you want to tell us?" she asked._

_"Of course!" Rock exclaimed._

_And everyone had their attention._

_"I'm not going home right now. I had an errand to make. I'm meeting with someone!" this surprised everyone because they never saw BRS excited like this. Then she ran to the parking lot._

_"What? Who is that!" STR exclaimed._

_As she ran, she turned to them. "A friend!"_

_Mato and the others were still looking on her with curiosity in their eyes._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Present time<strong>_

BRS continued to drive on the outskirts of the city. As she was driving, she was grinding her thoughts: who really is Steve Rogers? And who are the people who kidnapped Mato and attacked her as well? And how do these bad guys knew their existence? She was eager to get all the answers.

After a half an hour, she reached her destination. It was an apartment. She looked at the iPhone-like communicator and she looked on the map with a red blink, indicating the location.

"_This is the place."_ BRS thought to herself.

As she walked through the door, she sensed someone is coming behind her.

"Just like I said, we'll meet again, kid. And it happened."

BRS turned and she saw the American, who is leaning on a wall. He was a tall and muscular yet he's branded as an able-bodied man. He has blue eyes and his hair is slightly blonde. He wears a white t-shirt and a black jacket.

BRS walked over the man. "It's really you, Mr. Rogers. Or should I say… Captain America."

Steve didn't say anything. He just stood there, smiling. In fact, he was glad to meet the little girl again.

"I'm here for your answers. And-"

"I know that, Shooter. But the very reason I call you is… to know more about you."

BRS was dumbfounded.

"In fact, I'd never see such a young woman like you. A young woman who ridiculously strong yet had great courage." Steve stated.

She blushed when she heard this. One thing that BRS learned from this man that he is not only kind but he has a sense of honor.

Steve looked up in the sky. "It seems the sun is setting. Let's go inside since you're my guest."

BRS replied. "T-thank you."

And the two entered the apartment. BRS couldn't believe this, but deep inside, she was determined and she is ready on what will happen next.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>This is the end of chapter 8. We see what is STR doing but it seems she is 'promoted' to an assistant coach. Saya also had her own thoughts and it seems deep down, she wants to see Gold Saw again but in the real world. And finally, BRS and Steve have met each other again; this time it's a friendly conversation.

So guys, read and review! And of course, I'll see you later!


	9. My Story: Shooting Star

**Author's Note: **So, this is my another update after a week. This chapter focuses on introduction and BRS' backstory. It also can be helpful for Steve to know her better. In other words, character interaction. I don't know if there are errors in this, but I'm doing my best. :)

Black Rock Shooter belongs to Huke & Good Smile Company

Captain America belongs to Marvel Entertainment, Joe Simon (R.I.P.), and Jack Kirby.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Inside the Designated S.H.I.E.L.D. Safehouse<strong>_

At the kitchen, Sharon is preparing a pitchel of pineapple juice and 3 bento boxes for the three of them. At first, she was astonished about their guest; in order to find out how strong she was, she tried to punch BRS yet she blocked it using her left hand and she did a throw move, taking down Sharon. Steve chuckled on what he saw but BRS took her hand and helped her. And that was 15 minutes ago.

Sharon can't help it but to wonder and smiled a bit. _"How can a girl look so fragile can be THAT strong? Well, I can say I'm impressed."_

BRS was sitting on the couch, watching TV. She looked on the surroundings of this so-called "safehouse", yet it's a simple apartment with some convenient furniture and a flat screen TV on the wall. She looked on the floor and he saw Steve doing push-ups.

"Mr. Rogers, is that you always do, even you're a superhero of some sorts?" Rock asked.

"Of course", Steve replied. "If you want to be ready in any kind of battle, you need to be in shape mentally and physically, even I have the serum."

"Serum?" BRS asked.

"The Super-Soldier Serum." Sharon said as she brought a pitchel of pineapple juice with three glasses, and 3 bento boxes on a tray and she placed them on a table. "That makes him like… a perfect specimen of human development and conditioning. In other words, a perfect and strong man."

"Uh… what is that again?" BRS was dumbfounded because of the unexpected events.

Steve got up. "Hmmm… maybe I should be the one who will explain that to her later." Steve sat on the other couch facing BRS, then he gets his bento box and he handed the 2nd one to the Otherworlder. Sharon also got her bento and afterwards, they began to open the boxes and eat.

"Wow, I can't believe that this bento box is delicious!" BRS exclaimed. "Thanks!"

"Well, I just bought it in the store. I seldomly cooked meals due to my schedule." Sharon said.

"_Our_ schedule." Steve corrected.

"Right." Sharon replied.

As he munched the food and drink some juice, Steve began to spoke at the twintailed girl. "So… you live in your own apartment, having a part-time job, loves to play basketball, and at the same time, goes to a middle school along with your friends." Then he inquired. "But isn't that… too hectic for you?"

"No, it's fine by me." BRS noted. "I'm always getting used to it. Us Otherworlders are always like that."

"Otherworlders? Is that the term for your kind?" Sharon inquired.

"Yes," BRS confirmed. "But I'll explain it later after we finish supper. I know that you want to know more about me but I also need to know from you. And that's fine."

"Go ahead, kid. Take your time." Steve told BRS. And Sharon smiled at the fact that this girl is also kind.

Ten minutes have passed and they have finished eating. BRS can't wait any longer for the answers. At the same time, Steve will finally know who she was and how a perennial fighter she was. For the both of them, it's a win-win situation. Sharon is eager to know more and she can get much information to help on foiling HYDRA's plans.

"Alright, you gonna ask me questions. So what's your first?" Steve began.

BRS remained calm and began her first question. "Who are the men who kidnapped Mato? And why would they want to kill me?"

"It was HYDRA." Steve answered.

"'Cut off one head, two more shall take its place', that is their motto." Sharon quoted. "HYDRA is an international terrorist organization that was bent on world domination and tries to establish a fascist New World Order. At first it was a Nazi research branch headed by Johann Schmidt during the days of World War II, but after the war, it expanded and it became one of the biggest terror groups in the world, with all the high-tech weaponry and technology they have to terrorize people and to further their goals."

BRS just nodded about the information she heard. She realized that there are dark forces that threaten humanity. She is living a normal life in the real world but she is ready to protect her friends and, if possible, to protect this world. BRS keeps on listening with a serious look on her face.

Steve stepped on the discussion. "Even I fought the Nazis during that time; HYDRA was a bigger threat as far as I could see. During the course of time and even today, their getting stronger and more threatening. But I'm here fighting to protect the innocent and stop them no matter what."

"So those guys are so-called terrorists who wield high-tech weapons and use innocents for the advancement of their goals." BRS put the pieces together. "So that's why Mato was kidnapped."

"Your friend?"Steve inquired.

"Yes, that was two days ago. Good thing that you helped me back there." BRS said as an appreciation of thanks. But she had thoughts on her mind. _"But the question is… why? I'll save that question later…"_

"Well, don't mention about it." Steve replied. "Wait, maybe it's time to tell your story?"

"My story?" BRS asked.

"Yes, because I want to know more about you, to be exact. To be honest, I also want to be your friend." Steve told her. "If something is bothering you, then don't worry."

BRS had second thoughts about it. Yes, she is an Otherworlder who lives a normal life, but Steve also knew her _other side_: being a somewhat superhuman girl who wields a sword and big powerful cannon. But she realizes that the man who is in front of her, who helped her defeat those HYDRA culprits, and most of all, he is the man who is also known as Captain America. If this is the way to know more about this man, then so be it.

She took a deep breath. "Alright, my civilian name is Kuroi Hoshioka. I'm Kuroi Mato's supposed cousin due to our likeness, except that I have long uneven ponytailed hair. But in truth, I came from another dimension called the Otherworld. I was named… Black Rock Shooter."

"It seems you looked like a teenage girl." Sharon noted. "Anyway, did you have any date of birth or parents? And how do you look exactly like your friend?"

"I don't have one of those, even parents." BRS said. But she formed a smile on her lips about Sharon's other question. "In our world, we are called as _other selves_. I simply looked like Mato because she is my _real world self_."

"Something like a physical manifestation or should we say… a counterpart?" Sharon inquired.

"To be honest, it's something like that." BRS answered. "We Otherworlders exist in order to carry the pain of our real world selves. We have no feelings and we only act in instinct and all we do is to fight. As for me, it was my nature to carry Mato's pain; I was like a manifestation of her desire to help people, while ignoring her own pain; that's why it makes me stronger. And I started to kill anyone, setting them 'free' from their suffering. "

Sharon was dumbfounded a bit but Steve was an exception. He had encountered most supernatural entities. He encountered gods, friends and enemies alike; he got an ally in the thunder god Thor and he even faced an enemy in the form of Loki. But this was different: he is facing another mysterious being in the form of this young woman in front of him. He is keeping his eyes and ears as he listens to this young woman's story.

Sharon stepped in. "What do you mean by killing 'anyone'? Are you talking about your own kind?"

BRS explained. "If an Other Self was killed in battle, the pain of its real world self will disappear. But it will lose their memories of something or someone who caused them to suffer, whether it's your friends or loved ones; in other words, the real world self will just forget about him or her. I just did that, especially on the Other Self of Takanashi Yomi's friend."

"And then you killed that so-called Other Self?" Steve asked BRS.

"Mato tried to stop me. But it was too late." BRS replied.

"Wait, that girl?" Steve alarmed.

"Yes, Mato had succeeded on entering the Otherworld by going through my mindscape. She wanted to save Yomi by attempting to stop me from killing Yomi's Other Self but… like I said, it was too late. I stabbed that Other Self. Mato was shocked about this and the blue flame on my eye… turned into a purple one." BRS told them.

Both Americans were stunned about what BRS told them. "Whoa, that's unbelievable."

"Oh dear." Sharon gasped in horror. "It's like 'killing his feelings is also like murdering someone' type of thing, isn't it?"

"You are correct, Ms. Carter." BRS answered. "For example, if someone will kill me, then Mato will forget about someone, even her friends or someone close to her."

"So what happens next?" Steve inquired.

I'm starting to go rampant. And because of Mato's shock, I became… an _insane_ being." BRS recounted.

"An _insane_… Black Rock Shooter?" Steve guessed.

"Yes, but wait, how do you know?" BRS asked him, surprised.

Steve shrugged. "Well, an intelligent guess."

BRS chuckled a bit shyly. But Steve reiterated. "So, you are supposed to carry Mato Kuroi's negative emotions and instead, you're doing just the opposite. More like an antithesis."

Then she held her breath and sighed as she continues her story. "You can say that. Back then, I was becoming more psychotic, bent on killing everyone that stands in my way. But because of the help of STR, another Otherworlder, Mato wakes up and tries to stop me but when I'm on the verge of killing STR, she succeeded."

"And then, what happened?" Steve asked.

"My conscience was put to sleep… as Mato took control of my body. She faced my _insane_ part, all by herself. I was unable to help her since I passed out. But then, she managed to fight it… by pleading to hurt her."

"But why would she do that? She doesn't want to fight back?" Sharon inquired.

"She wants to be hurt properly. So instead, she took all the beating because she wants to be hurt without hurting anyone else. My insane self is beating her into a bloody pulp, even breaking her right leg." BRS told them. "But despite of her injuries, she fought back with a new resolve."

Then Sharon said, "You didn't even help her? How did-"

Steve turned to Sharon and cut her off. "Sharon, BRS was unconscious back then. What is she talking about is… it was Mato herself facing her own demons. And she had a bigger heart in order to face it."

Realizing this, Sharon took back her own words, "I understand. It seems she is brave and all that."

"Yeah, Mato was something." BRS noted. Then she continued. "Gun against gun. Shot after shot. The battle between Mato and IBRS was not just a gunfight but one who will be left standing. And then… a miracle happened."

"A miracle?" Steve asked.

"It was Mato who did it. Most of the Other Selves came and helped her to defeat my insane side. And because of that, our realms were merged into one dimension. And then, Mato and Yuu, the human self of STR, were brought back in the real world." And she concluded by saying, "Then the rest is history."

"So all because of Mato, your world has changed." Sharon stated. "That's really nice."

"To be honest, us Otherworlders have no feelings and we only act on instinct. But we can never fight on someone that we hate." Then she formed a smile on her lips. "In the end, we love our counterparts and our only wish is to protect them. And I can never lie to someone that I love. And then I said to myself 'I will continue to bear the pain; I will continue to fight in this world'. But when I said that, it will be a different one. And… most of us are starting to gain emotions, especially my friends. And you know, 4 of us have decided to live a normal life in the real world. That is because… we want to get closer on our counterparts, which are, also our friends. And it's really wonderful."

Steve can't help but to came forward and touched her shoulder. "What you tell us is wonderful. I have no clue of some things but what matters is… I really know who you are. You're just more than a persona of someone. You are all just like us human beings: those who have emotions and even those who have courage and the will to fight, the ability to love and care for other people; even making friends."

He continued. "What Mato did back there is more like a battle of wills. She wanted to get hurt because she doesn't want to run away from it and decided to face them. With that, she defeated that dark side of yours and it changed your world. And because of that young girl, you even know how to live a normal life and wanted to learn new things and what it feels like to help others. It seems you're developing a sense of justice, with the help of your human friends. And… someone trying to take the pain away and then you're just running away from it is not what freedom is. And it's not even true strength."

BRS blinked on Steve's statement. Yes, she admit that she became powerful because of Mato's desire but everything became haywire, especially at the point of becoming _insane._ Now Rock will try to listen to what Steve meant.

"What do you mean by that?" BRS inquired.

"It is really hurting for one person to experience pain and suffering. But problems exist not to dwell on them but to **solve** them. No matter how many times you stumble or you fall, you need to stand up and say 'I can do this!' even with the help of those who are precious to you. Freedom is not about doing the things you want. It's like taking an opportunity. An opportunity to strive, to become the best that you ever want to be and can do the right thing, not just for yourself but for others as well. If you give in to your pain, you give in to your weakness. Overcoming your pain, overcoming your weakness is like you're striving to become a better person."

"I believe in God, who is the Maker of all life, you and me." Steve said as he pointed on BRS. Then he used both hands to make an illustration. "Our problems are like a box. You look on all 4 corners and then you feeling hopeless you say to yourself 'There is no way! I can't do this!' But if you look up in the sky…" Steve looked up. "…and you see how wide and vast it was, you will realize that God is far bigger than all of your problems."

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe in God." BRS said but she pointed out instead. "But… it seems you have a point. But for beings like us, the more the problems the girls face, the more we carry them and unleash our full potential since it's our nature. But things are different right now, not only for our human friends, but also for us. I even learned how to deal with my own problems, whether it was technical or emotional; and how to solve them. I learned a lot from Mato, and from everyone else."

"I respect on your disbelief in God, but that's ok for me." Steve noted. And then he smiled as he looked again on the twintailed girl. "I can even consider you as His creature. That's because you can walk, talk, and even feel. You are human to me. One who has positive and negative emotions makes us human. Standing up, being strong and to fight for what is right makes us being human. At times of failure, at times of sorrow, and at times of despair, there is light of hope that is coming from something or even on us. And we can say 'We can.'"

BRS fully understood this. Since she is gaining emotions, especially due to the fact that STR also lived in the real world and her closeness to Mato, she is starting to feel pain on her own and learned how to deal with problems. The best thing is she is catching up and Mato, Yomi, Kagari, Yuu, and even Saya were there to help them. Life is full of ups and downs, yes. But above all, life is colorful and beautiful. STR has experienced it when she switched with Yuu and even the others can, including her. No matter what happens, she is ready to face the challenges to come. But the best thing is… she is not alone.

Sharon can't help but to form a smile on her lips. It seems that the two can get along together at all. She knows who Steve is; not only he is known for his stand as a superhero but he is also known for his values. _"I can't wait what will happen next."_ She said to herself.

"Uh, Shooter." Steve called.

"Yes?"

"Let's go outside." Steve said with a smile. "I will tell you about my hardship. My pain. My struggle. _My story_."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>This is the end of chapter 9. Since BRS have told her backstory, it was Steve's turn to tell his. Currently working on those, including the flashbacks, since it will be very long. It will have 2 parts: one which it will be based on "Captain America: The First Avenger" while the second part will be based on "The Avengers", both will be on Cap's POV. And yes, I will watch "The Avengers" today so I will enjoy the ride and at the same time, I will get some ideas. Don't worry, I will do my best to deliver

Read and review. I'll see you later, guys!


	10. My Story: StarSpangled Man I

**Author's Note:** It's been a month that I actually update on this. Here's some few things that I want to say:

1. First is that last month, I have finally watched 'The Avengers' and it's one of the top contenders for biggest movie of the year! It has a simple story, but it has lots of action and stuff! 'The Dark Knight Rises' and 'Skyfall' is next on my list.

2. There are a few changes to be made. I better divide the Cap flashback story (based on 'Captain America: The First Avenger') into two parts because it seems that it's longer than I expected; it's 9,000 words! Don't worry, I'm currently working on the 2nd part. I decided not to put 'The Avengers' flashback in order to not to spoil for those who never watched the film. Maybe another fanfic of sorts, but who knows what the outcome will be.

So enjoy this new chapter!

Black Rock Shooter belongs to Huke

Captain America belongs to Marvel Entertainment

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><p>It was almost 6:00 in the evening. The sun is still setting and there are few stars appearing in the sky. Sharon picked up the bento boxes and returned to the room upstairs and goes on contacting her superiors upon telling on their ongoing mission. Every agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. should daily reports about their progress because the organization needs more intel and other important information. If they have one, they will need it in order to help the organization for future missions and other projects. But Sharon had thoughts on her mind: she had mixed feelings of confusion and astonishment after he heard BRS's story: she was the Otherself of a human girl yet she also lived a normal life in the real world. But the bottom line is, BRS is a good girl at all.<p>

"_Hmm, it seems it's good that I left them outside. I can't wait when she will be surprised about Steve's story."_ Sharon thought.

Steve Rogers and BRS are on the rooftop of the apartment. They sat on the ledge as they overlook the city and the setting sun. The gentle breeze of the wind really helped them to refresh themselves. Now she was done with her own flashback, BRS can't wait any longer to know more about Steve as he began to share his story to her.

Steve turned to BRS. "It seems you are calm on the outside but on the inside, you're impatient and getting giddy."

BRS was surprised a bit. "H-hey! W-what do you mean by that!"

"See, that's what I thought. I even see you blushing right now." Steve chuckled.

"Oh, come on Mr. Rogers! I-I mean, i-it's-"

"Steve." The American recalled his first name to Rock.

"Huh?" Rock turned to him.

"Just call me Steve. It'll be better to call me that."

BRS tried to object. "Hey, here in Japan, we-"

Yet Steve waived. "No, that's fine with me. Honestly, I just want to be your friend. And it's better you know me, personally."

"Oh really." BRS said. "If that is the case then I don't mind. But aside that, I can still call you 'Captain Rogers' or 'Cap' since you are a superior. Am I right?"

"Hm. You're right about that." Steve was taken aback. "Well, it all started back… 90 years ago."

When she heard this, she hesitated as she spoke. "Wait a sec! 90 years! B-but how?"

"You have an unbelievable story, yet I also have one. But believe it or not, it's true." Steve told her.

"Well, ok. I guess we're even then." BRS said.

"Now, let's continue." Steve began continuing his story. "I was named Steven Rogers and I was born in July 4, 1920 to my parents Joseph and Sarah Rogers, who are Irish immigrants."

"'Born on the Fourth of July'", BRS mumbled.

"Hey, I was born in a holiday. For us Americans, July 4th is an important day. That was the date where our nation has declared independence from Britain. And that was in 1776." Steve explained with a bit of a 'history lesson' approach.

"It seems I need to read history books in my spare time." BRS

"Well, you should be." Steve chuckled. "Anyways, my father served as a soldier during the First World War and my mother served as a nurse. But he died during the war when I was a kid and when I was a teen, my mother died of tuberculosis."

BRS noticed the solemn look on Steve's face. "It seems you had a hard time swallowing up all that." And she came up with a thought. "Do you think that losing your own parents while you were younger is somewhat painful?"

"Of course, it can." Steve noted. "Parents are one of the best things in the world that a child can have. They are the ones that can take care of you, guide you, protect you, and even love you. It can also be a core for the term called 'family.' You know kid, it seems that you don't have parents but actually, that term wasn't just found on blood but on bond. That's all that matters."

She heard the words loud and clear. BRS doesn't have any parents to care for her; she was a loner all along. But she imagined that along with Mato and others who care for her, she thought that they were in one picture. She liked it because being with Mato and others are like a family.

She turned to Steve since she wanted to know more. "But that was the start for me. Like everyone else, I moved forward. Back there, I was bullied by other kids because I'm weak. Until I met James Buchanan Barnes, nicknamed Bucky, and we became best friends. As I grew up, I became a fine arts student. Yes, I drew stuff like illustrations, paintings, portraits, landscapes, posters, and even comics. And through that, I earned my living… until the news about World War II came to our shores."

"World War II?" BRS inquired. "You mean-"

"The last great war. And that was 70 years ago." Then Steve continued. "When the news came around, I decided to let go of my job for a moment and tried to recruit for the US Army. But I failed… 5 times."

"You tried to recruit for the Army but, how did you fail?" BRS asked.

"Good question. That is because that I have a weak body. And I'll tell you…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>70 Years Ago<strong>_

_**Manhattan, New York City**_

_Still, despite of the alarming news about the war, everything was peaceful. Yet most of the people have mixed reactions whether if America should enter the war. Germany, which it became powerful in the 1930s due to the rise of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi followers and culminating the Third Reich, cast the first stone; and on September 1939, World War II began when the Nazis invaded Poland. France and Great Britain stood against this looming threat, but day to day, the Nazi war machine is unstoppable, occupying almost all of Europe, including France. England is the only one standing; instead of giving in, they continue to fight. The US never hesitated on helping the Allied nations through funds and weapons; even they never entered in… yet._

_The recruitment center is a place where most men are gathered to enlist in the Army. The US Army is in need for soldiers to be in the front lines. For many, it's a great opportunity to serve their country. But for others, it seems that they were being forced to do it. The battlefield is also a dangerous place, not only you engage yourself in combat but your life is also at stake; either you survive or you die. But that is the price if you have any reason to fight in a war. And these men will take their chance to prove themselves._

_"O'Connell, Michael." The doctor called. And the man stood up._

_"Kominsky, Henry." Another man was called._

_"Rogers, Steven." Steve's name was called next. He was reading a newspaper alongside with another man._

_"You never think twice about enlisting, huh?" the man asked._

_The frail-bodied man stood up. "Nope." And he went to the doctor._

_The military doctor checked the papers as Steve Rogers stepped into the weighing scale. Steve prepared himself and he is expecting to make it out with luck so he can serve in the Army, despite of his physical stature. The doctor still needs to examine him if he is eligible to serve in the Army._

_"Rogers…" the doctor recalled. As he looked on the records, he asked Steve. "How'd your father died on?"_

_"Mustard gas." Steve answered. "He was on the 107th Infantry. Hoping that… I could be assigned on."_

_"Mother?"_

_"She worked as a nurse in a TB ward. Got hit, couldn't shake it."_

_As the doctor looked on the records, he saw something. And it was not good. The list is full of many ailments and other health disorders like heart trouble and even asthma. The doctor has no choice._

_"Sorry, son."_

_"Look, just give me a chance." Steve tried to plead._

_"You are not eligible on asthma alone."_

_Steve sighed in desperation. "Is there anything you can do…?"_

_"I'm doing it. I'm saving your life." The doctor stamped a document. As Steve got it, what he saw made him disappoint just like the past few days: it's a 4F. It means rejected._

_He sighed mentally. "Oh great."_

_The following day, Steve was in a theater along with many people. It showed many footages about the ongoing war against the Axis, which is composed of Japan, Italy, and of course, Germany. Soldiers were wounded, tanks are moving, and the soldiers are even marching on to battle. Even there is a boy who also helped in the war effort by collecting scrap metal. Then suddenly, some annoying wanker apathetically raised his voice._

_"Who cares? Put a movie already!"_

_Some have noticed the man's recklessness, including Steve. "Hey, would ya show some respect?"_

_Most of the crowd looked on the wanker. "C'mon, let's get it on with it! Hey, just start the cartoon!"_

_Steve shot back. "Would you please shut up!"_

_Then the man stood up and turned to Steve. The man is taller than him and able-bodied compared to Steve's weak and frail one. Steve can't help but to prepare himself for the worst._

_Someone was punched in the alley. And it was none other than small, weak, and skinny Steve Rogers. It's just one punch in the face that took him down. Yet, he stood up quickly and grabbed a trash can cover to defend himself. Yet the man took the trash cover and punched him again. Although bruised, Steve stood up as he prepared his fists._

_"You just don't when to give up, do you?" the man taunted him._

_"I can do this all day." Steve said in response._

_He charged on trying to punch the man yet the man blocked it and he punched him again, this time it took down Steve. Before the man makes another move, someone stopped him._

_"Hey, don't you know there's a war going on? Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?"_

_The man turned around as he was shoved by none other than a man in a military uniform. He wanted to strike back but the man in uniform punched him and kicked him out, shooing the annoying wanker away. And he turned and walked to Steve, where the latter trying to get up._

_"Sometimes, I think you like getting punched." the military guy said._

_"I had him on the ropes." Steve got up and tries to wipe the blood that came from his mouth._

_He looked on Steve's papers. "Now this time, what is this?" As he saw it, he realized that he failed yet it says that Steve Rogers came from New Jersey. And then he looked at him. "You know, it's illegal to lie in an enlistment form."_

_After he cleaned up himself, Steve faced the man and said, "You get your orders?"_

_And the man responds. "In the 107th, Sergeant James Barnes. I'm shipping out for England tomorrow morning."_

_"I should be going." Steve told James, who is also known as Bucky._

_When Bucky heard it, he decided to cheer him up as they walk off. "Come on, you need to clean up."_

_"Where are we going?" Steve asked._

_Bucky handed a pamphlet of a special exhibit dubbed 'World Exposition of Tomorrow'. "To the future." _

* * *

><p>"Five times." BRS recalled. "Yet you failed but still…"<p>

"Yeah, I was rejected because I am small, frail, weak, and skinny. In other words, I'm ineligible. But I decided to stand up and try my luck." Steve noted.

Because of this, BRS knew something from Steve: even he has a weak body, he vowed to never give up and there is still hope for a guy like him. But she asked another question. "But… why would you want to do this in the first place?"

"Glad that you asked for it." Steve said. "I'll give you an answer as we move on to another part of my story… hmm, maybe should summarize it for you." And he continued. "Bucky and I went to the exhibit called 'The World Exposition of Tomorrow', which is remarkable during that time. There are many things that were featured like fast trains, suits with gadgets of some sorts and even floating cars! Speaking of that, those things were now existent. And it was also headed by a friend of mine, Howard Stark."

"Stark?" BRS clicked. "Wait, have you heard of the billionaire businessman Tony Stark?"

"Tony is Howard Stark' son." Steve noted. "He's a bit of a jerk sometimes but he's a hero who wears an iron suit. But I'll tell you more lately about the dad himself."

Another discovery BRS have found: Steve Rogers have met Howard, who is the father to Tony Stark. And Tony Stark is also known in the world not just as a playboy billionaire and a genius but also the man who wears a suit of armor: the invincible Iron Man. But she decided to dodge it right now because he wanted to know more about Steve has he went on.

"We watched one of his exhibits, including a demonstration of the so-called flying car. But I decided to slip out and went to the Recruitment Office. Bucky followed me and then…

* * *

><p><em><strong>US Army Recruitment Office Branch, World Exposition of Tomorrow<strong>_

_Even in a place like the World Expo of Tomorrow, a booth sponsored by the US Army is also included. You can have some fun but you can also enlist in a booth like this. Steve stepped into the platform and it shows that he can't fit into the image; in other words, he's short. But yet he attempts to enlist again. Bucky followed and patted him in the back._

_"Hey Steve, come on, you're missing a double date. We're dancing with the girls tonight."_

_"Go ahead; I'll catch up with you." Steve told Bucky._

_Bucky sighed, "Are you really gonna do this again?"_

_"Well, I'll try my luck." Steve answered._

_"As who? Steve from Ohio?" Bucky tried to shot back. "Getting caught is the worst action that'll take you."_

_But Steve is still stubborn. "I know you don't think I can do this..."_

_"But this isn't a backyard, Steve. It's a war!" Bucky raised his tone._

_"I know it's a war, but it's the war! It's a war that we can't lose. It affects us all and that's why I'm gonna go there." Steve sternly said._

_"But there are so many important jobs other than being in the battlefield."_

_"Like what, collecting scrap metal while carrying a red wagon?" Steve inquired._

_"Yes! That's what I meant." Bucky exclaimed._

_"Well, I'm not gonna sit down in a factory, Bucky!" Steve shot back._

_Bucky tried to retort but Steve continued. "Come on, they're meddling down their lives. I have no right to do anything less than them. That's what you don't understand. This isn't about me."_

_"Right. Because you nothing else to prove." Bucky remarked._

_Then the two girls outside called Bucky out. "Hey, Sarge! You're coming with us, right?"_

_The officer turned to the girls and told cheerfully. "Yes, we are."_

_As Bucky began to left, he couldn't stop thinking on what Steve said to him. Honestly, it's rare to have people like Steve. He wants to admire him for his bravery but what can a frail weak man do? He decided to turn off his stint to say something bad on his best friend._

_"Don't do anything stupid 'till I get back." Bucky told the skinny guy._

_"How can I? Taking all the stupid with you?" Steve inquired._

_Bucky sighed and came back. "You punk."_

_"Jerk." And the two best friends hugged each other. Steve gave Bucky a handshake and said, "Be careful."_

_As Bucky left on his way, Steve wasn't finished yet. "Don't win the war till I get there."_

_Bucky turned and gave him a salute. And he left with the two girls for the dance. After seeing his best friend go, Steve went on his way, trying to enlist again. Without knowing, he was noticed by an old man in his 50s who wears a casual outfit and glasses. And he also went his own way to the clinic room._

* * *

><p>As BRS recounted that part, "So you want to enlist in the Army is because you want to fight the bad guys, despite of your weak physical body back then?"<p>

"Yeah," Steve affirmed. "Because no matter what I am or what kind of physical condition I have, I just want to prove myself that I can do this. I may be a skinny guy, but true strength lies on inside."

"Resilience…" the kind of word that BRS formed on her lips.

* * *

><p><em>As he prepares himself for a medical checkup, the nurse came and whispered to the doctor. The doctor nodded and he turned to Steve. "Wait here."<em>

_"Is there a problem?" Steve asked._

_"Just wait here." The doctor repeated as he left._

_When there is no one around, Steve has noticed something on the wall as he looked back, and it was a note._

_"IT IS ILLEGAL TO FALSIFY YOUR ENLISTMENT FORM."_

_But Steve had no choice. He will do anything in order to serve in the Army; even he needs to break rules. So he hesitantly went to the chair and quickly tried to wear the long boots but he was caught by an MP (military police) officer as the latter saw the little man trying to wear the boots. Until the old man who is holding a folder containing some records came and he said to the MP Officer, "Thank you." And the MP Officer left._

_The old man began to speak. "So, you want to go overseas? And kill some Nazis…"_

_"Excuse me?" Steve inquired._

_The old man introduced himself. "I'm Dr. Abraham Erskine. I represent the Strategic Scientific Reserve."_

_"Steve Rogers." The little man also introduced himself as the two men shook hands._

_As he nodded on Steve's introduction, he went on to open a folder. Yet Steve tried to ask Dr. Erskine. "Where are you from?"_

_"Queens. 73th street. Before that, Germany." Erskine answered. Then he looked back at Steve if there is something wrong on what he said. "Does that trouble you?"_

_"No." Steve replied._

_Erskine continued to look on the file. "So where you from, Mr. Rogers? Is it… Bahamas? As far as I can see it, it's 5 exams in 5 different cities."_

_"Wait," Steve stopped for a bit. "Maybe that is the wrong file."_

_"No, I'm not talking about 5 cities. It's the 5 tries." Erskine reaffirmed. But he decided to go straight to the main topic. "But you never answered my question. 'Do you want to kill Nazis?'"_

_"Is this a test?" Steve asked._

_"Yes." The old man replied._

_Without delay, Steve came up with an honest answer on why he wanted to enlist in the Army. He said, "I don't want to kill anyone. I don't like bullies. I don't care where they from."_

_Abraham Erskine was struck a bit on Steve's answer. He knew that the Nazis in Germany, which is his home country back then, are the bad guys in WWII. It is impossible for a guy like Steve to join in, but he saw something that relieved him; something inside. And then the he remarked. "Well, there are already so many big men fighting in this war. Maybe what we need now is a little guy, huh?"_

_As he continued, he made up his mind. "I can offer you a chance. Only a **chance**."_

_His eyes widened. Then he approached Erskine without any second thought. At last, Steve finally had his chance to be on the frontlines, but that is just the beginning for him. He replied, "I'll take it."_

_"Good." As Erskine took the file and opened it, he is holding a marker to stamp on Steve's enlistment form. But before that, he asked Steve again. "So, where is the little guy from… actually?"_

_Steve formed a smile on his lips as he answered. "Brooklyn."_

_Then Erskine stamped the enlistment form. "Congratulations, soldier."_

_As he gave the folder to Steve as he left, the little guy looked on his form. It says "1A." That means he is now approved to join in the army. He doesn't know what will happen to him, but one thing is for sure: he can now fight in the war._

* * *

><p>"So you want to prove yourself, no matter what the cost? Even your life?" BRS inquired after hearing that part.<p>

"Uh huh." Steve replied. "In my part, there is no greater duty than to serve your country… fighting. My role model is my father and he fought valiantly in the First World War. I want to follow in his footsteps, even though I have a weak physical body back then."

"And how about that Dr. Erskine guy?" BRS asked.

"Well, he's the man who changed everything for me. And he's the reason why I am like this." Steve answered, showing his some parts of his strong, physical body.

"You mean?"

"The Super-Soldier Serum." Steve said. "But before we go there, let's go to the 'boot camp'. At Camp Lehigh…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Camp Lehigh<strong>_

_Camp Lehigh is one of the active training camps of the US Army during that time. Tanks, trucks, and other supplies were stored there for later use, even sending them to the frontlines. A group of soldiers lined up, most of them are recruits. But Steve himself is the only odd guy to be part of the because of his short stature. They are waiting for the supervisor to start the orientation process._

_"Recruits, attention!"_

_The entire group of recruits stand firm as a woman arrived. She wears an officer's uniform, had shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. She was known as Peggy Carter, an operative from England. She introduced herself._

_"Gentlemen, I am Agent Carter. I supervise all operations for this division."_

_One recruit opened his mouth, as like he is complaining. "What's with the accent, Queen Victoria? I thought I've signed up for the US Army."_

_The woman noticed it as she turned to the recruit. "What's your name, soldier?"_

_"Gilmore Hodge, 'Your Majesty.'" He cockily introduced himself._

_"Step forward, Hodge." Peggy ordered the recruit. "Put your right foot forward." The cocky recruit did so._

_"You know, I got a few moves I know you'll like." Hodge noted._

_Instead, Peggy punched the cocky guy in the face, knocking him down. Most of the other recruits, including Steve, smirked and chuckled inwardly because Hodge was taken down by a woman. A very tough woman. And Agent Carter was one of the best in the British Intelligence Service so she is fit for a job like this._

_"Agent Carter!" someone called the agent out._

_As Peggy turned, a military jeep stopped by and came a man in his 50s and wears a military officer's uniform and a jacket as he comes off from the jeep, following him is none other than Dr. Abraham Erskine._

_"Colonel Philips." Agent Carter responds to the Army officer named Colonel Chester Philips._

_"I can see that you're breaking some candidates, that's good." He commended._

_Then Colonel Philips saw Hodge on the dirt. And he told him, "Get your ass off the dirt and get back on the line of attention before someone calls you what to do."_

_"Yessir!" Hodge answered._

* * *

><p>When BRS heard the surname 'Carter', she wanted to ask Cap about that matter. "Peggy Carter… wait a minute. Is she related to Ms. Sharon?"<p>

"On that, yes." Steve answered with a chuckle. "Actually, Peggy is my first love. And most of all, she is Sharon's aunt."

Steve's explanation has made Rock confused a bit. She knew that Sharon was his partner and love interest but Peggy? Not only that, Steve also lived during World War II so maybe they have a relationship together before meeting Sharon when he awoke from his 70-year sleep. Steve looked on BRS' confused expression.

"What do you expect from the "Man Out of Time'?" Steve said. "Confused?"

BRS shook her head, trying to snap herself out of it. BRS tried to say a word but Steve halted her as he chuckled, "Ok, maybe Sharon will explain everything to you. Is that alright for you?"

"Heheh, uh… maybe." BRS replied. _"Woah, things are getting complicated here..."_ She mumbled with a blush. Then she goes with another question, straying off the Peggy-Sharon thingy for a while. "Is your training really THAT hard?"

"Hard? Of course!" Steve said. "But for a skinny guy like me back then, it's 10 times harder. Learning how to shoot, jogging, running, crawling, everything. It's all day long. Even though there are bullies ganging up on me, making fun, well, I still get going. We are preparing ourselves; one of us will be selected as one guy, who will become the first ever Super Soldier. That top-secret project was called 'Operation: Rebirth'."

Then BRS came up with a question. "Only one?"

"What Colonel Philips said is not only one, but an _army_. The goal of 'Operation Rebirth' is to 'create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man.' That way, those kind of soldiers can help us win the war." Steve explained.

"'One man can make a difference', isn't it?" BRS wondered.

"I can give that as a yes. I agree with you." Steve answered. "Oh, there is even a time when those guys wanted to climb a flagpole because those who will get one will have a backride with Peggy in a jeep. And I was still running."

"Really?" BRS raised her voice in amusement. "Then what happened? Lemme guess, those guys tried to climb that flagpole to get that flag yet they didn't make it, right?"

Steve's eyes were widened when she made that intelligent guess. And it can't be denied that she was right all along. "It seems you have brains at all, nice guess you have there."

"Uh, thanks." She scratched her head as she chuckled. And the two both chuckled.

"Not only that, kid. When I reached the flagpole and the drill sergeant ordered to go back in formation, I just looked at the steel that supports the flagpole. I took it off and the flagpole fell. And I got the flag… and went with Peggy. I turned to the drill sergeant and said, 'Thank you, sir.' And most of the guys in the back can't believe it."

"A little guy beating those big men. You're very smart." BRS commented.

Steve chuckled. "You ain't heard anything yet, kid. I'll tell you more."

* * *

><p><em>"Faster, ladies! Come on! My grandmother has more life than the rest of you. Move!"<em>

_Agent Carter walked as he surveyed the recruits' exercise routine. Even Steve himself has a hard time doing pushups unlike the others. While the soldiers resume their regimen, Colonel Philips and Abraham Erskine had a conversation as they walked to the scene._

_"You're not thinking on picking Rogers, are you?" Colonel Philips said as he went in a slightly not hood mood concerning Rogers._

_"I'm not having second thoughts on him. He's a clear choice." Erskine retorted._

_"Will you bring up a 90-pound ass medic on my army base? I'll let it slide. Maybe he'll be useful to you, like a gerbil. Never thought you picked him."_

_Both men were now in the vicinity, but still, Colonel Philips is reluctant on Erskine's choice on choosing Steve. As they observed, they are now doing jumping jacks. Steve gets very tired on doing it yet he needs it, of course. As Philips observed, her whining still continued._

_"That kid's arm is gonna throw up right through. Look at him, he's making me cry."_

_But Erskine stood firm as he said, "I am looking for qualities that are beyond the physical."_

_"Do you know how long it took to set up this project?" Colonel Philips asked the doctor._

_"Yes, I do. And I appreciate your efforts." Erskine answered._

_"Well, throw me a bone." Colonel Philips said as he takes a look on Hodge. "Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big, he's fast, he takes orders; he's a soldier."_

_"He's a bully." Erskine told the officer._

_But Colonel Philips huffed, "We don't win wars with niceness, doctor." As he said that, he approached the truck and in one of the supply boxes, he picks up a grenade and pulls out its pin detonating it. "We win wars, with guts."_

_Colonel Philips threw it and he shouted, "Grenade!"_

_Most of the recruits were alarmed and they were scattered and hide somewhere for cover save themselves from the supposed explosion. But instead of hiding, Steve jumped on and tried to cover himself in order to protect everyone. He shouted as he waived his hand to stay low, "Get away! Get back!"_

_After 5 seconds, nothing happened. The grenade was just a dummy. The other officer ordered the men to go back in formation. Actually, Colonel Philips can't believe that this skinny guy has guts more than those who are able-bodied. Peggy Carter can't help but to admire him._

_"Is this a test?" Steve inquired._

_In his disbelief, Colonel Philips remarked. "He's still skinny." And then he left. Erskine turned on Steve and he smirked._

* * *

><p>"A skinny guy has more guts…" BRS recalled.<p>

"Unbelievable, isn't it? But I did." Steve said.

"So what happened after that?" BRS inquired.

"Well, when I'm back in my quarters the night before I went to the Operation: Rebirth project, Dr. Erskine came to me. Good thing that he came since he also can't sleep during the night. So I ask him about why he chose me for project…"

* * *

><p><em>"Why me?" Steve asked.<em>

_"It seems that it's the only question that matters." Erskine answered. Then he showed him a bottle of wine that he carried all along. "This is from Augsburg, my city. So many people forget that the first country the Nazis invaded was their own. You know about the last war; my people struggled to get things back on track. Days, weeks, years, depression is everywhere. And then Hitler comes around with the salutes, rallies, shouting and marching. Then he hears of me and he says "YOU". He says 'YOU who will make us strong'."_

_Shrugged off, he continued. "Honestly, I am not interested. Instead, he has sent HYDRA."_

_"HYDRA?" Steve inquired._

_"It was his research division, headed by brilliant scientist Johann Schmidt. He also a military officer, being part of Hitler's inner circle. Not only that, he had great interest with occult power and Teutonic myth. Hitler uses fantasies to inspire his followers. But for Schmidt, it was real and not fantasy. He always believes that there is a great power hidden beneath the earth, left by the gods. And it will later be seized by superior men. So when he asked me about the formula, he cannot resist. Schmidt must become that superior man."_

_Then Erskine remembers of flashbacks on death threats made by Schmidt. But the most painful of all is when he found out that his family was sent to a concentration camp and died. He vowed revenge but he was stopped by Agent Carter, who was sent to rescue him. Instead of killing Schmidt, he escaped along with Peggy. And mostly, he was glad that he lived in the US and helped the Allied war effort by taking part on the "Operation: Rebirth" project._

_Wanting to know what happened to Schmidt on using the Super-Soldier formula, "Did it make him stronger?"_

_"Yeah, but with other effects. The serum is not ready."_

_When Steve heard this, he realizes that something went wrong about Schmidt and that led the Nazi scientist to madness._

_But Erskine continued on his story. "But here is one important thing: the man. The serum amplifies what's inside. So good becomes great, bad becomes worse. This is why you were chosen. Because the strong men, who have known power all his life… might lose respect for that power. But the weak men, learns the value of strength. And knows… compassion."_

_Steve wasn't sure about this yet he said, "Thanks, I think."_

_Then Dr. Erskine ordered Steve to give him the bottle since he wants a drink. As he concluded, he wants to inspire the little guy. "No matter what happens tomorrow, you have to promise me one thing… that you must stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier. But…_

* * *

><p>"a good… man." Steve recalled.<p>

BRS can't help herself, but to awe. It seems she was like him a little bit. She was from the Otherworld, an antithesis. Yet, she managed to live a normal life along with her friends. Every day, she is becoming more human. And best of all, she learned how to help others. Steve Rogers at first was a skinny guy, short, weak and frail. But deep inside, he's a man with a good heart.

"So… this is what you have become, right?" BRS inquired.

"Well, I kept his promise." Steve noted. "But what Erskine said to me, he has a point. You don't need to be big, fast, and strong to fight back. Bravery comes from within, not from outside." Still, he continued. "The next day, I was accompanied by Peggy as we went to the place where the top-secret operation will take place, which is also located inside Brooklyn. We have a little chitchat about how I was beaten by bullies back then. We keep on until we reached the place: it was a shop from the outside, but it has a secret facility on the inside. I marveled on the whole sight. All of the machinery were there, all in the place. All were provided by Howard Stark himself; he even made the chamber were I can be put there to infuse the serum. Only few number of people were there; the crew, the newspaper guys and even some officers and politicians, including Senator Brandt…"

* * *

><p><em>Steve is now preparing himself to lie flat on the bed part of the serum infusing machine. Dr. Erskine approached him and asked, "Comfortable?"<em>

_Steve joked, "Yeah, but a little big." Erskine chuckled in amusement._

_Then Steve asked again. "You save me any of the schnapps?_

_"I have no much as I should have. Sorry, next time." Erskine assured._

_Then the scientist turned to Howard. "Mr. Stark! How are your levels?"_

_"Levels are all 100%." Howard replied as he approached the little guy._

_"Good."_

_"You didn't have the lights in Brooklyn, but we are ready. For whoever be." Howard said._

_"Agent Carter, don't you think it will be more comfortable in the roof?" Erskine requested._

_"Oh, yes. Sorry." Peggy answered._

_"Good." Then Agent Carter went upstairs._

_As he checked on the microphone, Dr. Erskine started to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, today we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path to peace. These vials contains contain the serum than can inject to the subject's major muscle groups. The serum's infusion will lead to immediate cellular change and then to stimulate growth the subject would saturate with Vita-Rays."_

_He concluded his explanation and it seems the people are ready to witness something remarkable. Erskine has injected something on Steve. The skinny man wanted to find what it is, believing it was the serum._

_"That wasn't so bad." He said._

_"That was penicillin." The doctor retorted. Then he said, "Serum infusion, beginning in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1."_

_And they were all set off. Howard and his crew began to activate all the systems that began the serum infusion. All of the 6 vials are emptied as they were injected to Steve's weak and frail body. He began to feel an unusual sensation that he has no idea if it strengthens him or something._

_"Now, Mr. Stark." He ordered the genius inventor to pull the lever, activating the chamber as it is closing until Steve was sealed shut. And the crew put the necessary compartments for the Vita-Ray infusion. Then Erskine knocked and checked in on Steve._

_"Steven? Can you hear me?"_

_A response. "Isn't it probably too late to go to the bathroom, right?"_

_Although he smirked in humor, Erskine took it as an ok sign and he confirms Howard, "We will proceed."_

_Howard turned the dial part to activate the machine. As he put on his goggles and so was his crew, he turned the wheel for the Vita-Ray stabilization process and a glow of light was made inside the chamber…_

_Stark began. "That's 10%... 20%... 30… that's 40%..."_

_"His vital signs are normal." One crew member told Howard._

_"Alright, that's 50%... 60… 70-!"_

_Suddenly, an unusual scream was heard. Peggy's eyes were widened since she is worried about Steve. So does Erskine._

_"AAAAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHHH!"_

_"Steven! Steven! Are you all right? Steven!" he shouted._

_"Shut it down! Now!" Peggy pleaded._

_As Erskine heard Peggy, he told Howard to shut down the reactors. But he heard someone from the chamber and it was Steve himself._

_"STOP! DON'T! I CAN DO THIS!"_

_Erskine saw the little guy's determination. He saw that Steve was the one guy who will do everything in order to make a difference. Since he had full trust on him, he allowed the operation to continue as Howard returned to continue the process._

_"80… 90… that's 100 percent!" Howard raised his voice because they were unsure of what the outcome will be, since what they saw is a great light. Then it reached its peak as the systems were overload but not malfunctioning; shielding their eyes. The sparks were gone as the glowing light has died down. They're waiting for this moment, they're waiting if this will be a success or it will be a failure._

_"Mr. Stark!" Erskine told to open the chamber. And…_

_It opened and most of the people are in awe on what they saw. The once weak skinny Steve Rogers was now a changed man, **physically**. He emerged as a tall and more muscular man. Erskine and Howard were in dropped jaws because they even can't believe that in reality, the operation was a brilliant success._

* * *

><p>"I was exhausted back there. But the focal point is…"<p>

"You did it." Rock made intelligence.

"Not just 'I'" Steve chuckled." WE did it. Without Erskine, Howard Stark, and even Peggy back then, I can't be like this. And here I am, being a tall, muscular, strong guy."

"Who wears an unusual costume and wields a shield." BRS retorted.

"BEFORE that." Steve pointed out. And they both chuckled.

"Going on, I was helped out both by the doctor and Howard Stark, still, they have relief and joy in their faces. Peggy came forward with a t-shirt and you know what the funny part is… she's sweating."

Upon hearing this, BRS tried to cover her mouth to suppress her laughter a bit. She got what Steve said: Peggy have seen, thanks to the Super Soldier serum, a strong and tall guy, yet hot and handsome!

"Well, on the contrary, you're a hot guy after all. Even all the girls will love you." BRS told Steve.

"Maybe." Steve replied. Then he tried to guess. "But I know you're sweating right know…"

BRS noticed that there is a bit of sweat, and she is on hysteria a bit in embarrassed. "W-wait! It's not like that!"

Steve laughed a bit because maybe this petite little girl may fall for him, but he has Sharon. Deep inside, he knows that someone is waiting for BRS, a right man for her. Shrugging it off, he asked. "You ok, kid?"

BRS took a deep breath and sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Alright, we're good." Steve noted with a smile on his lips. "You know, as Peggy looked at me, she's nervous when she asked this…

* * *

><p><em>"How'd you feel?" Peggy inquired, like she was drooling on something.<em>

_"Taller…" Steve answered._

_"You look taller…" Peggy noted as she tried to calm herself down yet did and she gave the t-shirt to Steve._

_Colonel Philips smirked on the commotion. He can't help but to congratulate Steve on this. As he approached to Senator Brandt, he inquired. "It's good that you're in Brooklyn, Senator?"_

_He made this reaction. "I'm sure the folks in Berlin are getting very nervous."_

_While everyone wanted to join the celebration, especially on congratulating Dr. Erskine, there is a man who keeps on surveying the whole room, checking that everything is clear. He has slight black hair and wears a grayish white suit. He was known as Fred Clemson, an official of the US State Department who is also invited to see the results. But actually, it was a cover after all. His real name is Heinz Kruger, and he was a HYDRA agent who was sent by Schmidt to infiltrate the secret facility and assassinate Erskine, and finally, to steal the Super Soldier serum and to erase all evidences of his work. This mission is crucial for him, but HYDRA is also known for their resilience: they will achieve their goals, no matter what, even if it means death._

* * *

><p>"So what's up with that guy?" BRS asked about the said HYDRA agent.<p>

"The obvious, of course. But we're not aware until… a bomb was exploded. Most of the people who are present are in panic. Then Kruger got the serum as he tried to escape. Erskine tried to stop him, but…"

"He was dead…" BRS mumbled, turning her head down.

"He was shot." Steve recalled. "I approached him and tried to carry him to a nearby hospital, but the wounds are fatal. He pointed my chest and then, he held his last breath. I got what he said: even I'm a soldier; I should stay who I am. Now I have my new resolve: chase that killer. This is how I'm gonna repay Erskine."

"Whoa. It seems it's a great loss for you…" BRS frowned in sorrow.

"Maybe, but his death won't be in vain, after all. I need to use this kind of new power… to do something right." Steve noted. "So, can we go on?"

"Oh, right." BRS replied, shifting her attention back.

"I hurriedly went outside to chase the HYDRA agent. As I looked for him, I saw Peggy standing on the middle of the road, holding a pistol. As I turned to find out who her target was, it was a cab, where the driver is none other than the killer himself. She attempted to shoot him in the head for the instant kill, but I rushed in and saved her, fearing that she would be hit instead. And I say sorry to her, so instead, I'm chasing the killer." Steve continues his summary of events.

"So… how did you chase him?" BRS asked, wondering how Steve will chase the said guy.

"Well, I'm just… running." He answered.

"You just ran?" BRS asked again in curiosity.

"Yeah, but I ran fast. Tirelessly." Steve told BRS. "It seems that I can run fast like an athlete. I was amazed on what my body can do. And I also have improved vision so it helps a lot. As I keep on running, I've passed through any alleyways but I set my sights on that car. Even some slight distractions, I just keep on running. And you know, I noticed something aside that I can run fast, I can even jump higher."

Still curious, BRS asked. "I'm just curious. How does it feel when you jumped high for the first time?"

He answered, "Uh, well. It's great. I've never felt so much… alive. But despite that, I still keep on chasing the guy, hopping on cars, trucks and stuff until I went on the cab and hold on it, trying to stop him. He tried to ward me off and he even tried to shoot me from the top yet I keep holding on until we both reached the pier. And then…

"After that what happened?" BRS asked.

* * *

><p><em>The car was tumbling down; it crashed yet it didn't explode. Lucky that Steve jumped off to safety while Heinz managed to get out unscratched. He tried to shoot Steve yet the pursuer had ducked cover himself from the fired bullets. As he went on his way of escape, he saw a young boy and held him hostage, much to anguish of the boy's parents. He continued on holding the helpless boy, still making his way to escape as he keeps on shooting on Steve yet the tall guy covered himself. As he made to his escape location inside the pier, Steve followed suit and when Heinz spotted him, he pointed the gun on the poor boy, threatening to kill him.<em>

_"No, don't!" Steve pleaded on hopes that the boy would not be shot. Seeing this as an opportunity, Heinz pointed his gun at Steve but when he fired the gun, it was out of bullets so he had no choice but to throw him into the water. As he continues to escape, Steve rushed in order to help the boy, but he was stopped by the boy saying,_

_"Go get him, I can swim!"_

_What a sigh of relief for Steve since he can focus on chasing Erskine's killer and then he proceeds. Meanwhile, Heinz is preparing his underwater vessel as it submerged from the water. He entered the cockpit, turn on the engines of the said vessel as it submerged into deep water and attempting to escape. But Steve jumped down and swims fast; his movements were as similar as an Olympic athlete. Without hesitation, he reached to the cockpit door, water gushing out, opened the hatch and grabbed the killer upwards as he threw him back. Steve got out from the water and when Heinz tried to slash him with a combat knife, Steve dodged it and kicked him, knocking him down and yet the vial which contains the serum is broken, spilling it down, making the super-soldier formula completely lost._

_Steve grabbed Heinz's shirt as he tries to interrogate him, "Who the hell are you!"_

_"We're the first of many. Cut off one head…" before he continued, he picks off a cyanide capsule from his teeth and bites on it, killing himself. "…two more shall take its place. Hail HYDRA." After he said that, he died._

_Peggy entered the scene. She saw the dead HYDRA assassin yet her eyes turned on Steve. As she saw it, the man was speechless: he can't believe that he can do anything with this body. In other words, the serum worked._

* * *

><p>"HYDRA…" BRS mumbled as the incident involving Mato remains on her memory.<p>

"It was HYDRA who ordered the assassination of Erskine. It's really a loss because all of his work, and the serum. They're lost forever." Steve noted.

"Particularly, SHIELD is attempting to replicate the formula but those attempts are nothing but to no avail. There is nothing as perfect, balanced, and more effective than Erskine's formula. The rest is history."

Steve and BRS turned and it was Sharon Carter who spoke about it.

"Thanks for reminding me _that_." Steve remarked. "The kid needs to know."

"Well, I don't mind about it but thanks for informing me anyway." BRS shrugged it off.

"Oh yeah, it seems you're two are hungry, right?" Sharon inquired. It's 15 minutes before 7. Dinner is ready."

BRS noticed a growl on his stomach. She rubbed the back of her head as she slightly chuckled in embarrassment. "Oh yeah, I'm almost hungry."

"Come on, kid. It seems that you should know more as I continue my story, especially on the part why I become Captain America."

BRS can't help but put a smile on her lips as they went back to the safe house for dinner.

* * *

><p>This is the end of chapter 10, the first part. Like I said earlier, I'm working for the 2nd part so no matter what, I'll keep you guys posted.<p>

Read and review!


	11. My Story: StarSpangled Man II

**Author's Note: **Well then, I'm back! It's been a month yet a lot of things happened. This month, I've watched "The Amazing Spider-Man" and it was a good reboot nonetheless. Then there goes "The Dark Knight Rises" which is a full blast! Not as good as "The Dark Knight" yet Christopher Nolan did it right. It was an epic conclusion. For me, it's more like a tie with "The Avengers" as the superhero movie of the year. Oh, and Marvel has delivered the goods to all with its upcoming "Phase 2" of their cinematic universe. Aside from Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, the have great upcoming comic book films like "Ant-Man" (which will be written and directed by Edgar Wright), "Guardians of the Galaxy", and here's my favorite as a Cap fan: the sequel to "The First Avenger" is titled "Captain America: The Winter Soldier". When I heard the news, I'm speechless.

In other news, there are changes to be made: I've said a month ago that Cap's backstory will have 2 parts but I've decided to make it a 3-part because I've never expected this that it will be so long. Don't worry, I'm still working for Part 3 so I'll do my best.

And now, here's chapter 11!

Black Rock Shooter belongs to Huke

Captain America belongs to Marvel Entertainment

* * *

><p>Back at the dining room on the safehouse, the three have enjoyed their dinner. Sharon wasn't just a SHIELD agent but also a great cook and much to BRS' surprise; she loved Sharon's tempura. Not only was it crispy but also very flavorful. And the beverage is another flavorful drink: red tea. And best of all, it was ice-cold. For BRS, it's more like a beverage but it's also a health drink and she loves it so much.<p>

"Ahh! Thanks for the red tea, Ms. Carter! I need this in my system." BRS exclaimed as she feels the refreshment of the said drink.

"For me, red tea was delicious. I prefer this than softdrinks most of the time." Sharon said.

"Well again, thanks for this." BRS thanked Sharon.

"No prob." Sharon told the girl.

"Well, it's better that we go on as we eat our dinner. Since we are eating until we finished, let's continue on where we left." Steve said.

"Uh, Steve, Rock, maybe I should make another pitchel of red tea for the rest of us." Sharon told the two.

"Thanks, Sharon. This is gonna be a long talk." Steve noted.

"Hey, you said that you will tell me on how you become Captain America, right?" BRS reminded the superhero while eating one tempura.

"Hehe, well I guess I have no choice after all. But before that, I wanna ask you: if we are in a war right now, will you gonna fight or you gonna stay and lock you up as an experiment until the said war have ended?" Steve asked the twintailed Otherworlder as take a bite of his own tempura. On the contrary, they have finished eating their food. As clean up and placed their plates on the table since they were eating on the couch, Rock take the answer.

"Of course, in my case, you're gonna stand up and fight! That is much better than to sit here and do nothing." Rock commented since she was born a warrior and Otherworlders were known for their fighting prowess.

"You're right." Steve commended her on her answer. "Honestly speaking, that was my second option. But I choose the first."

"And what's the first option?" BRS inquired.

"To be on the battlefield."

* * *

><p><em>In the aftermath of the Heinz Kruger chase, Steve was in a SSR clinic while he was with a nurse, finishing her check-up along with a medical doctor. In front of him was Peggy, who is holding some dossiers full of confidential files, most of them are information about HYDRA. Despite of the series of events, Steve laments on Erskine's death. As he stood up, Peggy began to speak.<em>

_"Any hope of hope of reproducing the program is locked in your genetic code." Peggy explained. "But without Dr. Erskine, it would take years."_

_"He deserved more than this." Steve said, lamenting._

_"If it could work only once, he'd be proud it was you." Peggy commented._

_Meanwhile, Senator Brandt and Col. Philips discussed about the events that happened moments ago. Even the senator himself can't believe that the facility can be infiltrated in these times of global conflict. Since military officials know how to deal with war and how to win it than politicians, he needs answers from Col. Philips himself. Beside them is the unknown vessel which Howard Stark and his engineers are trying to analyze._

_"Colonel Philips, my committee is demanding answers." The senator demanded._

_Col. Philips wittedly replied, "Great. Why don't we start with how a German spy got a ride to my secret installation in your car?" Then he turned to Howard as he also looked on the said vessel. "What have we got here?"_

_"Speaking modestly, I'm the best mechanical engineer in this country. But I don't know what's inside this thing or how it works. We're not even close to this technology." Stark commented as he continued to analyze the said vehicle._

_"Then who is?" the senator inquired._

_"HYDRA." Col. Philips answered. "I'm sure you've been reading our briefings."_

_Seeing the information as new for Senator Brandt, he said, "I'm on a number of committees, Colonel."_

_"HYDRA is a Nazi deep science division, led by Johann Schmidt. But he has much bigger ambitions." Agent Carter informed the senator as she and Steve both entered the scene._

_Then Col. Philips added, "HYDRA is practically a cult. They worship Schmidt 'cause they think he's invincible."_

_Now the senator heard about the information about HYDRA and how they can be a threat in the coming months. Then he inquired, "So, what are you going to do about it?"_

_Colonel Philips answered. "I spoke to the President this morning and he agreed on my suggestion and put it in effect: As of today the SSR has been retasked."_

_Upon hearing this, Peggy asked as if this is a new order. "Colonel?"_

_Colonel Philips turned to Peggy. "We are taking the fight to HYDRA. Pack your bags, Agent Carter." And then he turned to Howard. "You too, Stark. We're flying to London tonight."_

_Seeing this as an opportunity to join the fight, Steve stepped in and approached the colonel. "Sir, if you're going after Schmidt, I want in."_

_"You'll stay here, Rogers. You're an experiment and you're going to Alamogordo." Philips noted._

_"The serum worked." Steve insisted, since he believes that can take on HYDRA with his new Super-Soldier body._

_"I asked for an army and all I got was you." The colonel said with apathy in his eyes. "You… are not enough." And then he left. Upon hearing this, Steve never expected that the colonel would say that. But he has no choice but to follow._

_Senator Brandt heard this as he seems that the colonel is unfair on this. And he approached to Steve. "With all due respect to the Colonel, I think he may be missing the point. I've seen you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country has seen it._

_"Paper." The senator ordered his assistant to hand him a newspaper with Steve being on the headline. It says 'NAZIS IN NEW YORK: Mystery Man Saves Child'. Then Brandt continued, "The enlistment lines have been around the block since your picture hit the newsstands. You don't take a soldier, a symbol like that, and hide him in a lab." Then he put his hand on Steve's shoulder just like a father; then he makes a proposal saying, "Son, do you want to serve your country on the most important battlefield of the war?"_

_Then Steve answered by shaking hands with Senator Brandt. "Sir, that's all I want."_

_"Then congratulations, you just got promoted."_

* * *

><p>"And… what kind of promotion is that?" BRS finally inquired.<p>

Before Steve will give an answer, Sharon interrupts the conversation as she brought another pitchel of red tea for them to share. "Hey, here some drinks, folks."

"Thanks, Sharon." Steve thanked her as she prepares three glasses for all of them. "Whew! I need to cool off myself for a bit."

And then he gave a glass of red tea to Rock and replied with a smile. "Here you go, kid. Your favorite."

"Thanks, Ms. Carter." BRS kindly thanked the blonde S.H.I.E.L.D. agent as she took the glass and drink it. Then Sharon decided to join in. "Rock-chan, do you wanna know what happened after the senator 'promoted' Steve?"

"Uh, yeah?" the petite girl answered.

"But Sharon, are you sure about this?" Steve inquired since he knows a lot because he is a 'Man Out of Time'. But he thought that it was a good idea that Sharon should also join in because she is Peggy's niece and she is always with Steve all this time.

"Trust me, Steve. World War II is also a history lesson and I also have my Aunt Peggy, so it's ok." Sharon assured.

"Very well, then." Steve nodded in approval.

Then Sharon turned to BRS. "Maybe I should also join in and give you a brief history lesson for you, little princess."

"Well, that's fine for me, Ms. Carter." BRS said.

Then she began her history talk. "We all know that fighting in a war is composed of soldiers, tanks and aircraft. Do you know the saying 'Wars are fought with weapons, but they are won by men?'"

"I've never heard of that quote before." BRS said. "But what are you trying to say is… if you have the weapons yet you don't know how to fight, then you're not gonna win no matter what you do."

"Smart kid." Sharon smiled, commending BRS due to the Otherworlder's knowledge of battle. "But war is different. Groups, nations, everyone is involved. Country against country. Nation against nation. Two sides. World War II is far greater than any war the world has ever seen." As Sharon continued, she pointed out something. "Steve is part of that war, but not on the frontlines… at first."

"What do you mean?" BRS asked Sharon.

Then the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent answered. "In every war, there is a 'home front'. The military arm of each nation gets their support from the government and from the people. They sent supplies like weapons, food, and even morale. And speaking of morale, they use propaganda in order to make the people support for the war effort. So the people are buying war bonds."

"War bonds? Is that necessary?" BRS asked about the term since it was new to her.

"War bonds are debt securities issued by a government for the purpose of financing military operations during times of war. War bonds generate capital for the government and make civilians feel involved in their national militaries. In other words, war bonds are more like financial support; it really helps the war effort of one's country."

"But wait." BRS stopped on Sharon's lecture, like a student who raised her hand in class. "What does it have to do with Steve?"

"Well, he's also part of a propaganda ploy made by Senator Brandt. He became a propaganda tool and at the same time, an American hero. Known as… 'Captain America'."

"So what did he do about it?" BRS asked.

"It's more like a stage show." Sharon explained. "The purpose of those 'Captain America' stage shows is to tell the people on giving support for the war effort. And speaking of Cap right here, he wears the old version of the Stars-and-Stripes suit along with a shield. And when the time he walks and performs in the stage, well, he goes off likes this…" The blonde takes a deep breath. "'Series E Defense Bonds. Each bond you buy is a bullet in the barrel of your best guy's gun!'"

BRS went dumbfounded upon hearing it. "W-wait, did he actually say that?"

Seeing Rock's reaction, Steve couldn't help but to chuckle a bit. "Well, those were good times back then."

Something clicked on Sharon's mind as she reaches on her pocket. "Oh yeah, here is some reference that will help you out."

Comes out of Sharon's pocket and it was a single card: it was a collectible card. When she threw it on the table, BRS picked it up and it engraves a picture of Steve as Captain America. She was surprised a bit because this was his first suit but it was for a show and not for a soldier.

Now it was Steve's turn to explain. "Not only just stage shows, but also films, pictorials and meeting with other people. It's an easy job for me. Like Senator Brandt said, doing this propaganda thing is like I was in a battlefield. Well, at first, I was ok about it but it all changed when I finally went to the frontlines, in Italy…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>1943 - Northern Italy, Five Miles from the Front<strong>_

_"How many of you are ready to help me sock old Adolf in the jaw?" Steve, in his Captain America suit, spoke on the microphone._

_He finally entered to the frontlines, located in Italy, on the southernmost part of Europe. He knows that he can cope to any audience but this time, it was soldiers and not civilians. He was there for the support for the troops but either way, he needs to do his job. But unfortunately, most of them have blank faces, making Steve getting nervous a bit…_

_Shrugging off his nervousness, he continued on. "Okay… uh, I need a volunteer!"_

_"We already volunteered! How do you think I got here?" one soldier raised his voice. And most of the troops laughed._

_"Bring back the girls!" said another. And everyone cheered because they're more interested for the USO girls rather than the performance of the so-called 'Star-Spangled Man with a Plan'._

_"Well, um… I'm thinking for one song but I… I'll see what I can do." Steve pleaded._

_"You do it, sweetheart." Said one._

_Incidentally, Gilmore Hodge was also part of the audience as he called on to Steve. "Nice boots, tinker bell!"_

_Again, the soldiers mocked in laughter._

_"Come on guys, we're all the same team."_

_They continued to make fun of Steve, until one soldier threw a tomato on him yet blocked it with his triangular steel shield. And the others followed suit along with applause from the audience. But it wasn't applause of admiration. It was humiliation and disgust. He had no choice but to left the stage then the USO girls appeared in front of them; if Cap received jeers from the troops, then this one is the opposite._

* * *

><p>Then Steve continued on. "I've never expected to be like this. I mean, I've never expected that someone, like an American hero, a 'Captain America', can be treated as a joke. More like a circus act. But, I realized something."<p>

"And what is that?" the petite girl asked.

"Well, it was raining outside. And when I spent time drawing pictures and illustrations, Peggy came to me. And the two of us had a talk with each other, especially on what I'm doing…"

* * *

><p><em>"Hello, Steve."<em>

_Steve turned and he saw Peggy, coming to him as she holds her coat._

_"Hi." Steve greeted back._

_"Hi." Peggy also greeted him._

_"What are you doing here?" he asked._

_"Officially, I'm not here at all." Peggy answered as she sat on a storage chest. "That was quiet a performance."_

_"Yeah, uh, I should improvise a little bit." He remarked after he heard Peggy's commendation. "Crowds amused like a little bit more of… 12"._

_"I understand that you are America's new hope." Peggy remarked._

_"Bond sales increase in 10% in every state I visit." Steve commented._

_"That's from Senator Brandt, I hear." Peggy also remarked on Steve's situation._

_"Since he got me doing this, Philips will have me and stuck in a lab."_

_"At least you have only two options: a lab rat or a dancing monkey." Peggy noted, upon seeing one of Steve's illustrations. It was a monkey who dressed with a stars and stripes outfit, like someone in a circus. "You were meant for more than this, you know?"_

_Peggy's words struck him. He realized that he wasn't supposed to be like this. He should be a soldier, not an experiment or a dancing monkey. He sighed mentally on his situation._

_"What?" Peggy asked as Steve looked at her._

_He sighed as he tried to tell her. "You know, in the longest time, that I dreamed about… coming overseas and be on the frontlines, serving my country. I got everything I wanted… and I'm wearing tights."_

_Then suddenly, Steve and Peggy heard a blow horn from an incoming vehicle; it was a medic jeep, carrying a wounded soldier. Steve saw this and said, "It looks like they've been through hell."_

_"But these men had the most." Peggy noted. "Schmidt sent out a force from his army. 200 men went up against him, less than 15 returned. Your audience contain what was left in the 107th, the rest were killed or captured."_

_The name of the infantry division had hit Steve. He realized that this is where his best friend Bucky belonged to. So he exclaimed, "The 107th?"_

_"What?" Peggy inquired but she saw worry on Steve's eyes._

_"Come on!" the two hurriedly went into the HQ where Colonel Philips and his staff were stationed. Steve needs to know what happened to Bucky, either if he was captured or killed. If he's lucky, this will be his first time to be in action but this time, it was with purpose._

_"Colonel Philips!" Steve called out as he approached the colonel._

_"Well, it's the 'Star-Spangled Man with a Plan'. What is your plan today?" Colonel Philips inquired._

_"I need the casualty list from Azzano." The tall guy demanded._

_"You don't give me orders, son." Philips tried to shot back since he was an officer._

_"I just need one name: Sgt. James Barnes from the 107th." Steve insisted._

_Upon knowing this, Colonel Philips turned to Peggy. He told her, "You and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won't enjoy."_

_Then Steve still demanded. "Please just tell if he's alive or captured. B-A-R-"_

_"I can spell." The colonel said. Then he stood up and checks on a number of papers, full of letters. They were condolence letters and they will be sent to their families if some soldiers were killed or missing in action. "I've signed these condolence letters today that I would care to count." Then he continued. "But… the name wasn't familiar. I'm sorry."_

_Hearing this, Steve was disappointed a bit but he is still adamant. "What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?"_

_"Yes, called 'winning the war'." The colonel said, seemingly that he cared more for winning and leaving a man behind is okay for him._

_"But if you know where they are, why not at least-"_

_"They're 30 miles behind enemy lines." Colonel Philips told him the location as he explained. "Those have some of most heavily fortified territory in Europe; we'd lose more men than we'd save. But I don't expect you to understand that because you're a chorus girl."_

_Steve is still defiant. "I think I understand just fine, sir."_

_"Well then, understand it somewhere else." As he walked away to continue doing his work, he added. "If I read the posters correctly, you got someplace to be in 30 minutes."_

_Steve didn't want to hear what the colonel said as he continued to look on the map, marking the location of the enemy base where most of the 107th were captured, including his best friend._

_Then he spoke in irony. "Yes, sir, I do." And after this, he left and went on his way. Peggy is just standing yet she totally understood Steve's resolve._

_But the Colonel responded, w/o knowing that the tall guy left. "If you have something to say, now it's the perfect time to keep it to yourself."_

* * *

><p>"I'm still in my disbelief, back then. I have no second thoughts on going on there and do a rescue mission. I don't care if I will be punished or anything. But what I care is… doing the right thing." Steve explained.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Steve was in the dressing room, preparing anything that he need. Then Peggy came into the scene and as she saw it, he prepares to leave.<em>

_"What are you planning to do, walking toward here?" she inquired._

_"If that is what it takes." Steve answered._

_But she tried to calm him down for a moment as she said, "You heard the colonel. Your friend is either missing or maybe dead."_

_"You don't know that."_

_But she insisted. "Even so, he devised a strategy so he can-"_

_"By the time he is done that, it will be too late!" Steve replied with defiance._

_"Steve!"_

_As Steve left, Peggy followed him suit as they went to the jeep, him putting his bag and his shield at the back. He looked on to Peggy. "You told me that I thought I was meant more than this. Did you mean that?"_

_Peggy now realized his resolve. He remembered the exact words that she said to him. For Steve, it is a matter a time that he can do what is right because he wanted to show to everyone that he is more than a showman, but a soldier._

_So Peggy answered, "Every word."_

_"Then you can let me go." As Steve went into the driver's seat to start the engines of the jeep, Peggy still approached him. She also wanted to join in._

_"I can do more than that." And the jeep went off._

* * *

><p>"You really cared for your best friend a lot." BRS noted.<p>

"Not just Bucky. But everyone else." Steve said. "There are times that we can disobey orders if we think that they are not right or anything. But all that matters is this: there's no greater honor than doing what's right. Actually, I believe in the saying 'A good soldier never leaves a man behind.'"

"Now, can you continue what happens next? I can't wait to know that… is it impossible for one man would do rescue mission, even the odds and chances are slim?" BRS asked that question. She admired the man for such virtue as a soldier yet she's still curious.

Steve grinned. "Smart, yet still curious kid. Now here's your answer…"

* * *

><p><em>It was nighttime. And a plane flew above the night sky. Steve and Peggy are all aboard in Howard Stark's personal plane. They're entering the border. All they need to do is to drop Steve safely. This will be a difficult mission so no matter what it takes, he's ready.<em>

_Peggy began with a short briefing. "The HYDRA camp is located near these 2 mountain ranges. It was a factory of some kind."_

_Howard, while on the cockpit, called out, "Maybe we should able to drop you right on the doorstep."_

_"Just get me as close as you can." Steve told him back. Then he turned to Peggy. "You two will gonna be in a lot of trouble if you land."_

_"And you weren't?" Peggy questioned him._

_"Well, if anybody will go after me then I'll shoot 'em." Steve replied._

_"They will undoubtedly shoot you back." She noted._

_"This will come in handy if you ask me." Steve noted, talking about his steel shield._

_Then Howard butted in as he called out to Peggy. "Agent Carter, if we weren't too much in a hurry, I thought we could stop off and have a late night fun do?"_

_Peggy is at loss for words… a bit. When Steve heard that, he was curious. Not only Howard Stark is an inventor and a genius but the ladies love him. In short, he's a playboy billionaire._

_Peggy tried to ignore it and move to another topic. "Stark is the best civilian pilot I've ever seen. He is mad enough to go through this kind of airspace. We're lucky to have him."_

_But yet, Steve wanted to ask something since Howard's words were still on his mind. "Did you two have…?"_

_"What?" Peggy raised her eyebrows._

_"Hang out?" that's the only thing that he asked._

_Peggy still shrugged it off and she gives Steve some sort of device. "This is a transponder. Activate it when you're ready, and the signal will lead us straight to you."_

_Steve took the transponder as it seems this will help him in his rescue mission. As he took it, he called out on Howard as he asked, "Are you sure this thing works?"_

_"I've tested that many times, pal." Howard assured._

_Suddenly, there are explosions rocked everywhere. They under enemy fire from flak cannons. But they brave on it no matter what the risks are. All that is important is to bring Steve to safety. In other words, to land him safely._

_But when Steve noticed the danger, he went up and goes to the doorway along with his shield. He decided to drop off._

_"Get back here, we'll take you all the way from here!" Peggy said loudly._

_As Steve opened the door and prepared himself to drop off, he turned to Peggy. "As soon as I leave, turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!"_

_"You can't give me orders!" Peggy retorted when he heard Steve's words of giving orders to a soldier._

_"The hell I can't? I'm a 'Captain!'" Steve answered back. And he has a point. After all, he was Captain America. And then, he dropped off. Peggy's eyes are full of worry but she had no choice but to trust him. Afterwards, the plane strides off away from the area._

* * *

><p>"And that is the start of my first rescue mission." Steve said. "And a lot happened."<p>

"How did you enter in? Any disguise or something?" BRS asked.

"Nah, I didn't do that. Well, I just wear my shield all around." Steve answered. Rock was a bit dumbfounded on his answer. What she thought is either how did he save those prisoners w/o being captured or wounded.

Sharon stepped in and approached Rock to snap her out. "He's not kidding. He went all the way in. You can say that it's a 'no sweat' thing, but the serum really helped him a lot."

Then Steve added. "What Sharon said is true. I managed to knock out those guys easily; in other words, it makes the job easier. But saving those men and even my best friend is not an easy task for me…"

* * *

><p><em>As he went into the room where the prisoners were located, he knocked one HYDRA guard unconscious. One group of prisoners stood up as they saw the knocked down guard. And then they saw a man who was unfamiliar to them, but whatever it is, they should thank him.<em>

_One prisoner, who is an African-American, who was named as Gabe Jones, asked the mysterious man. "Who are you supposed to be?"_

_Then Steve answered. "I'm… Captain America."_

_Another prisoner, who is a British national, inquired. "I beg your pardon?"_

_Then the bars were opened as he unlocked all of them, setting the prisoners free. One of them is Timothy 'Dum Dum' Dugan, who worked as a circus guy before he went into the US Army. Well, he also wears a moustache and his signature bowl hat, which makes him cool. For him at least._

_"What? Are we taking everybody?" he inquired._

_And then one soldier approached him, a Japanese-American, who goes by the name of Jim Morita. And he showed him his military necklace. "I'm from Fresno, Ace."_

_Steve is still checking everybody and at the same time, he continues his search for Bucky. "Is there anybody else? I'm looking for a Sergeant James Barnes."_

_The same British guy, who is known as James Montgomery Falsworth, came to him and informed Steve. "There's an isolation ward in the factory, but no one's ever come back from it."_

_Hearing this as helpful intel, Steve called out on everyone. "All right. The tree line is northwest, 80 yards past the gate. Get out fast and give 'em hell. I'll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else I find."_

_As he walks away, Gabe suddenly stopped him a bit. "Wait." Then he turned._

_"You know what you're doing?"_

_Then Steve replied. "Yeah. I knocked down Adolf Hitler over 200 times." But it was in a stage show, to be honest._

_Most of them didn't even know But Dugan made a discreet 'Whoa' reaction. This guy helped them so who cares._

_And moments later, a massive prison break occurs. They outnumber most of HYDRA soldiers; kill after kill, explosion after explosion. Even most of the HYDRA soldiers have their own arsenal of advanced weaponry; they were greatly outmatched against the captured soldiers. And worse, they were also outmatched by Steve Rogers inside._

* * *

><p>"When I continued to beat those guys, I heard a loud alarm sound all over the compound." Steve continued." It's more like a self-destruct sequence, so I hurried on. But before I entered one room, I encountered someone who is escaping: an old man in short stature who wears a hat. And he carries a briefcase."<p>

"And who is that guy?" BRS asked in curiosity.

"Arnim Zola." Sharon said. "He is also a genius. As scientist and a engineer. Schmidt recruited him and made him his right-hand man. Apparently, he designed most of HYDRA's weaponry during that time."

"Did you catch him?" BRS again asked.

"Well, not yet. But I'll tell you more later on since I don't want to spoil you." Steve told him. "Be patient."

"Well, alright." BRS understood this as she continues to listen.

"So where are we now?" he tried to recall. "Oh, I didn't catch Zola… for now." Then he continued. "As I entered into the room, it seems it's more like a medical room for me. Then I heard a voice… someone is mumbling. As I got closer to the voice, I saw a man, lying down and strapped. He is citing names of people, mostly soldiers. And that man… was Bucky."

BRS was surprised. "That guy was Bucky?"

"Yeah, he's like groggy or something. In other words, something bad has happened to him…"

* * *

><p><em>"Bucky!" Steve gasped on what he saw, on what they did to him. "Oh my God, what have they done to you?"<em>

_Without second thoughts, Steve just pulled out all the straps that bind his best friends and he managed to wake him up. "Bucky. Bucky, wake up!"_

_Then Bucky slowly opened his eyes, trying to see his surroundings, until he saw Steve._

_"Bucky, it's me. Steve." He called him._

_"Steve?" Bucky recalled. All he knows that Steve was a skinny guy. But with all of this, in addition of being captured, he couldn't believe if this guy is his best friend or not_

_Then Steve got him up. "I thought you're dead."_

_Still bewildered, Bucky formed words on his lips. "I thought you're smaller."_

_Then the two heard an explosion. But Steve also looked to a map, revealing most of information that will be helpful in the coming days. But they must get out alive and safe. They must hurry. Afterwards, he carried Bucky._

_As they head out of the room, Bucky inquired. "What happened to you?"_

_"I joined the Army." Steve replied._

* * *

><p>"Both of us hurried. Good thing Bucky can still move, telling me that he's ok. Explosions rocked everywhere, tearing the whole factory apart. As we make our way of escape, we met someone who is also making an escape along with Zola. He's holding a canister. But he greeted us, especially me. I finally met him, at last."<p>

"And who is that?" the petite girl asked again in intrigue.

He formed a frown. "He's none other than my archenemy. Johann Schmidt. The Red Skull."

* * *

><p><em>"Captain America! How exciting!" He placed the canister and gave it to Zola to keep it as the HYDRA madman introduced himself. "I am a great fan of your films!"<em>

_He continued his remark as he approached Steve. "So, Dr. Erskine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but still, impressive."_

_Steve knew that he was talking about Erskine and his outstanding work, the Super-Soldier serum. The one that even costs his death at the hands of this maniac. In disgust and rage, Steve punched Schmidt in the face._

_"You've got no idea." He said vehemently._

_Schmidt held up himself. "Haven't I?" Then he landed a punch that made a dent into Steve's shield. Seeing this, Steve immediately draws his gun yet he was punched into the ground. As Schmidt approaches, Steve kicks him across the retractable bridge and Dr. Zola intervenes and retracts the bridge. As the two have separated, Schmidt got up and called out. "No matter what lies Erskine told you. You see, I was his greatest success!"_

_Then without hesitation, he wanted to show his true face. With no avail, he peels away his supposed mask. He finally showed his true face: a face which is the face of terror, madness, and insanity. He lived up with his name: the Red Skull._

_Steve and Bucky were in shock on what they saw. For Steve, he understood why Erskine never wanted to give the serum to Schmidt. Erskine's words still ring through his head: 'Good becomes great. Bad becomes worse.' And since Schmidt was a lunatic, the effects of Erskine's formula are there but they were incomplete at first; this has drove the German scientist mad._

_Bucky was a bit awestruck on this as he commented. "You don't have one of those, do you?"_

_Then the Red Skull set his eyes on Steve as he told him. "You're deluded, Captain." As he continued, he threw off his mask into the fire. "You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality, you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind. Unlike you, I embrace it proudly. Without fear!" After this, he left along with Zola._

_"Then how come you're running?" Steve sarcastically remarked. As the Red Skull makes his escape, explosions still rocked the whole facility, leaving both Steve and Bucky stranded. Despite the odds, the two have made their escape._

* * *

><p>"Well, we all have made it safe and sound. All of us have returned to our base. And to be honest, we were met with cheers and applause from the other soldiers; more like a grand welcome. They ridiculed me at first. But things are different. Everything can change if you have the will to do something to make a difference." He sighed in relief and looked up. "Peggy was right. I was meant more than this."<p>

* * *

><p><em>Then Steve approached Col. Philips and saluted him. The colonel observed what's happening. He doubted Steve Rogers at first but after this successful rescue mission, he is at loss for words, a bit. Only one man can do this? It is impossible in his point of view, but this man, who has the Super-Soldier serum, proved him wrong after all.<em>

_"Some of these men need medical attention." Steve reported. "I'm ready to surrender myself for disciplinary action."_

_Colonel Philips made a decision since he was impressed of Steve's heroics. "That won't be necessary."_

_Hearing the colonel's response, Steve was relieved. "Yes, sir."_

_Then the colonel turned to Peggy with a slight smirk. "Faith, huh?" And he walked away. Peggy was also relieved on what the colonel said since the two of them have a heated debate for her actions concerning Steve. As she walked towards Steve, she said playfully, "You're late."_

_Steve showed his broken device to here and answered. "Can't call my ride?"_

_But Bucky called out on everyone. "Hey! Let's hear it from Captain America!"_

_Still, the massive cheers and applause surround the whole camp. That is all because of one good man who is willing to give his life in the service of his country. More importantly, to the people close to him._

* * *

><p>Sharon added. "And that is where Steve's journey began. Being a hero. And a full-fledged soldier."<p>

"Wow, that's really amazing!" BRS exclaimed but bit fangirl-ish. "I can't believe you've all do that by yourself."

Then the Super Soldier chuckled. "Not just me, but everyone else. I can't even do that without them." He added. "But I wanted to tell you this: once you have that power, don't ever think that you can do it all yourself. Because true strength comes from within. And because of those around you."

Rock nodded in agreement to Steve's statement. Shrugging it off, she wanted to continue Cap's backstory. "So… what happened after then? You got promoted? For real?"

He gave the Otherworlder a clear answer. "For real, indeed." Then he added, "I became a full-fledged member of the SSR. In other words, an operative and a real soldier, with the rank of captain. I even got a Medal of Valor oddly from Senator Brandt."

The term is new for Rock. She learned a lot how to live a normal life and also familiar with recognition and awards in the real world yet the "Medal of Valor" thing is something that she needs to know. "What's the 'Medal of Valor'?

Sharon gave her a brief explanation. "A 'Medal of Valor' is a type of medal given to honor military or public safety personnel who have served with gallantry. Well, an example is a police officer. Since he showed some bravery in a hostage crisis, he was rewarded by his superiors. But in Steve's case, well, that's all because of his Captain America thingy."

Steve sighed. "Well, I don't care about that, but it will make sense if I'm in action, not a showman." Then he continued on. "Now going back: we are in London since it is the SSR's base of operations, which is located underground…"

* * *

><p><em>The SSR's base can be a busy place. Intelligence gathering, logistics, you name it. Of all the U.S. military organizations during WWII, the SSR is in the league with the OSS and other special organizations. Steve is along with Peggy, sharing all information from his last mission, yet unofficial. And best of all, he wears a military officer's uniform.<em>

_"This one is located in Poland, then in the Baltic, and the sixth one was … here, 30-40 miles west in the Maginot Line. I just got a quick look." Steve reveals his series of intel._

_"At least, perfect." Peggy commented while forming a smile on his lips. The serum not only makes him stronger and faster, but it heightened his senses. At least it helps. Then the two went to the second table where it places a map as they joined with Col. Philips. Steve continued. "These are the weapon factories that we know about. Sgt. Barnes said that HYDRA shipped all the parts to another facility located on this map."_

_Then the colonel gives his orders to Peggy. "Agent Carter, coordinate with MI6. I want every Allied eyeball looking for that main HYDRA base."_

_"What about us?" She inquired._

_"We will gonna set a fire on Johann Schmidt's ass." Philips told her. And then he sets his eyes on Steve after he gets a paper from one of the assistants. "What do you say, Rogers? With that map, you can take those HYDRA war factories down?"_

_"Yes sir. I'll need a team." Steve answered._

_"We are already putting together the best men." Col. Philips informed._

_Steve said in response. "With all due respect, sir. So am I."_

* * *

><p>Before he continued on, Steve looked at his watch. "Well, it was 7:30pm. In other words, we still have time. Everything is fast-paced, isn't it?"<p>

"Well, I heard everything loud and clear." BRS recounted. "Is that it?"

"Not yet." Steve told him. "Hmm, let's try something new: how about we go outside?"

"Again!" BRS irritably noted.

"I mean in the rooftop, up there." He pointed. "Because as I continue, there's something you need to see."

When Rock heard this, she noted that there is something behind his words. As she thought _'Did he have a secret or something? Or maybe that something that I'm familiar with? I'm gonna find out.' _"Really? Ok, let's go."

"Be patient, kid. Maybe you go first. I'll catch up."

"Uh, is that ok with you?" BRS curiously inquired.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be fine. I just want to talk with Sharon. Just a personal matter." He informed the girl.

"Alright, I'm gonna wait." Then she started to go to the rooftop upstairs. 'Maybe it's a relationship or anything. Uh, who cares? Maybe something related in Mr. Rogers' backstory.' She shrugged in thought.

As the twintailed disappeared from his sight, Steve came to Sharon. "Sharon, you need to bring the shield."

"But why?" Sharon asked as she wanted to know if it's necessary.

Steve smirked. "Just a little warmup. And BTW, bring in our portable database. I need to show her something."

Sharon has no idea if this will be a good or bad idea. "Hmm, the database can be considered as top-secret, but it can be for historical purposes, I guess."

"Trust me on this." Steve said.

"You really sound like a war veteran. But the difference is that you're not an old man." Sharon playfully said.

"I was?" Steve chuckled and he sighed. "Yeah, right. But I'm different than any war veteran. I'm a Man Out of Time. And I'm still fighting."

Then Sharon gave him a hug. "I know. It's really hard for you. Yet you're also strong."

Steve felt comfort in Sharon's embrace. "Sharon, thanks." And the two went into to room to make some preparations.

* * *

><p>This ends chapter 11. And I almost forgot: June 22 is a memorable day for me as a LBJ fan. That's because LeBron James got his first NBA title and of course, the Miami Heat are the 2012 NBA Champions! I'm planning to include more basketball stuff in later chapters just for fun. :P But I'm currently working for chapter 12, which is the conclusion of Cap's backstory and well as I'll put other material.<p>

Read and review. And I'll see you guys later.


	12. Part 3: A Conclusion and Trouble

**Author's Note:** Crap, crap! It's been 4 freakin' months since my last update. Writer's block, laziness... it's killing me! In addition, I'm busy on some things that I couldn't explain. But the good thing is that I'm continuing this story and finish this no matter what. Didn't care about being rushed or anything, but I've done my best. And besides, something has caught my interest.

Furthermore, this is Chapter 12! Enjoy, peeps!

Black Rock Shooter is the property of Huke, Good Smile Company

Captain America is owned by Marvel Entertainment.

* * *

><p>Black Rock Shooter is on the concrete rooftop of the safehouse. It has more outdoor space; at least she can feel the cool night breeze as she sat on a bench. She looks up at the night sky full of stars. In her view, there is nothing like this in her homeworld. The Otherworld sky changed after the merging of the worlds yet nothing compares to the real world. The stars are indeed… beautiful. But suddenly…<p>

BRS sensed something that is coming to her. Something that will hit her. Without hesitation, she backflipped in the air and the same time, dodging it. As she landed safely, her instincts kicked in again and dodge the shield again. As she turned to find out who did it, she saw someone who catches it. She gasped in surprise when she found out that the one who threw that shield is none other than Steve himself.

"Nice reflexes, kid." Steve remarked as he places it on his left arm.

"Damn, Steve!" She exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"Well, I just want to know what you're made of." He smirked.

"Wha?!" Then a realization hit her and she turned on serious eyes. "Well, are you picking up a fight?"

Then he went on to his battle stance. "This is not a fight. It's more like a warm up."

Then she clenched her fists as she was ready. And he goes with a smirk. "So be it."

Without wait, BRS started to attack, dashing forward. Then she jumped and goes for a flying kick yet it was blocked by Steve's shield. Then she backfilpped and landed as she noticed something: Cap's shield is unlike any ordinary. "Wow, this guy's shield was something. But how can I beat him down?" As she tried to make a strategy, she remembered the day when Cap helped her take down the HYDRA men and save Mato. She even calculated the man's moves and read it while she fights. After this, she have made her somewhat 'battle plan'…

"Spot his weak point and then go all out."

And then she dashed again and does a sliding move, hoping to hit the weak spot which is his legs. But Steve took notice and he sidestepped, dodging BRS' attack. Noticed an opening, Steve went on to strike her using his shield yet BRS managed to counter it with a right kick, blocking Steve's attack. And she gets up and does her fighting stance again.

"Neat trick." Steve smirked. "You fight like a professional fighter or assassin. Who trained you?"

"Other Selves are like that. Fighting is our nature." BRS told him.

"But we're different. You're a lone warrior. And I'm a soldier. You're more battle-hardened than I've thought." Steve commented. "But…"

"But what?" BRS inquired.

"You think you can beat me?" Then Steve throws his shield again, this time in front of her. Seeing his attack, BRS dodged it again and she made a dash to attack him but when she got near Steve, she rolled over to avoid the shield as Steve catches it. Then BRS punched yet it was blocked again by Steve's shield. Then Steve counterattacked by a right punch but she dodged it. She went to the back side and performed a roundhouse kick yet it was also blocked by the Super Soldier's shield. Then he jumped away to make space. Much to BRS surprise, Steve drops off his shield and went to a fighting stance.

How about we do this the easy way, kid?" Steve said. "Let's see if you can beat me without my shield."

"Very well, then." BRS said. Then she took a breath. And she is ready to attack. "Here I come!"

Again, she charged forward. She made the first attack by hitting a punch yet it was caught by the American.

"Wha-?" she dumbfounded in disbelief. Then she jumped away and she tried again. She unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks yet the soldier dodged every attack BRS made. She tried to perform a jumping roundhouse kick yet again it was blocked. She landed on the ground to make space, especially to both combatants.

Steve still maintains his calm demeanor as he kept his eyes on the girl. 'She's formidable. She had unbelievable strength and she's even agile.' He thought. 'But if she only relied on brute force, she can never stand a chance from any opponent who is smarter. But I need be calm and see her every move in order to defeat her.'

'I can't believe he's strong. So how can I beat this guy? He can even read my every move!' BRS thought. She's been born and used to fighting since she's an Otherworlder but she has never encountered a human like Steve. She knew about Dragon Slayer, who is a master of magic and also fully knowledgeable in battle. But if she had no choice, then the only way to beat him is to outsmart him.

'Ok, here goes nothing!' BRS charged forward and does a straight flying kick yet she's unlucky because Steve dodges it and grabbed her right leg, and then does a takedown move. Steve goes for the blow yet Rock managed to grab his fist with her two hands, trying to block it. The two fighters are struggling until BRS hit Steve's abdomen using her knee, then she rolled over and did an armbar. Steve tried to get out from her submission hold but the petite girl tightened her hold but due to his immense strength, Steve was able to get out of the hold and rolled away. BRS also got up.

"Hmph. I got ya." BRS said cockily.

"Yeah right." Steve answered. But…"

Steve dashed forward, going for the attack. BRS, of course, had an advantage due to her 13-year old-esque physique, so agile and strong, a being who was used to fight. But for Steve, having an Otherworlder as an opponent can serve as a challenge for him. As he goes for the punch, BRS dodged it and she tried to counter it with a punch. But the American caught her right arm and does a throw move that took the girl down to the ground. Steve goes for the punch as he tried to hit the girl in the head. Defenseless, BRS closed her eyes, expected to get hit. But when she opened her eyes slowly, she realized that Steve didn't continue; she just saw the fist close to her!

"You're pretty good." Steve remarked. "But hitting a lady being defenseless is a no, no matter how tough she was."

BRS was surprised. If anything, she found out that Steve was also a gentleman. When she stepped into the real world for the first time, she encountered many boys yet she can cope with them. Last time, she saved an old man from a bunch of bullies and luckily, Rock is now also part of the Kuroi family, where she is a big sister figure to Hiro. Sometimes, Mato asked BRS if there are male Other Selves but she shrugged it off because she was not sure as of now, because all she knows that the Otherworld is mostly girls. When she was asked if males in their world will exist, BRS didn't say a word. But deep inside, she will be happy if there are boys in their world.

Steve stood up and reaches his hand on the girl. BRS smiled in response as she took his hand, getting her up. A single slight applause was heard by the two and as they turned, it was Sharon who is watching them.

"Wow, I can't say… I'm impressed." Sharon remarked as she walked forward.

"You watched the whole thing, Sharon?" Steve said.

"Yeah, this pretty little lady has some guts." Sharon said, and then she turned to BRS as she continued. "You kicked my ass back there when you throw me." Then she gave a sly smirk. "Now you see the master in action."

"Well, he's really very good." BRS said. "But… I easily kicked your ass." She shrugged.

But Sharon retorted as crossed her arms. "Ha! You don't have any idea what it means to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Not only you fight, but you have to be responsible and at the same time, to be smart!"

"Hey, you can't blame me. Other Selves are used to fighting. No buts." BRS told the blonde.

Sharon can't help but to sigh. "On the contrary, since you and your friends have lived here in the real world, you still need to learn a lot. My approach on combat is much different than yours."

"Girls, please." Steve chuckled as he pleaded the two women. And then he turned to Rock. "Nice fight we had, kid. But Sharon has a point: you need to learn a lot."

"Well, either way." BRS replied.

Sharon said to BRS. "No offense, but I'm not saying that I hate your guts. You're also a good person, I know that. Like Steve, I just also want to make friends with you." She replied cheerfully.

"Next time, we should have a fair fight. A spar may suffice." BRS answered back.

"I gratefully accept." And they shook hands in respect. Steve himself loved the commotion. _'These two can be good friends.'_ He thought.

Now Steve wanted to go on since something has clicked on his head. "Well so, were we left off?"

"Eh?" BRS irked.

"My backstory isn't finished yet. And this is the perfect place since we need some cool, fresh air." He reminded.

"Hmm, you got a point." BRS replied.

"Here" Sharon called out the two as she threw 2 soda cans on the two. On the contrary, Sharon brought some refreshments since these two need a drink after their supposed 'sparring.'

"Thanks, Ms. Carter." BRS noted.

"You're welcome." Sharon cheerfully replied.

"Alright, let's continue, Steve." BRS told him

As Steve drank his soda can, he heard BRS' reply. He cleared his throat after he drank and replied. "Very well, then."

Steve leaned in the fence along with BRS while Sharon was sitting in a bench nearby. "Ok, remember when I told you about I will choose the best men for the job?"

"Um, yeah?" the teenage girl confirmed.

"After me and Colonel Philips agreed on the same thing, here's what happened next. I went on a pub in London that night…"

* * *

><p><em>"So let's get this straight." Dugan began the conversation.<em>

_"We barely got out there alive and you want us to go back?" Gabe Jones sarcastically inquired._

_Steve paused for a moment. And he answered. "Uh, yeah. Pretty much."_

_"Sounds rather… fun, actually." Said Falseworth, the Englishman._

_Then Jim Morita also agreed and he replied with a burp. "I'm in."_

_Then Steve turned on the other side when Gabe Jones and Jacques Dernier, the Frenchman who was also one of the POWs back then. He admitted that he has no idea on what the two said to each other since he can't even understand French yet he will also study other languages for the days to come. But he notices something on Jacque: he's also witty. And as he observed, it seems that Jacque and Gabe had an agreement with each other with laughs and handshakes. Then Gabe gave Steve an answer: "We're in."_

_Sharing his toast, Dugan also agreed. "I'll always fight. But you have to do me one favor."_

_"What's that?" Steve asked._

_Dugan sarcastically answered. "Open a tab." And everybody laughed; so does Steve. So he took the three empty glasses and went to the bartender._

_"Another round." The man in uniform requested._

_"Where they putting all this stuff?" the bartender asked._

_When the piano music hits, the singing and merrymaking began. Meanwhile, Steve went to his best friend Bucky, who is also taking a drink._

_"See? I told you. They're all idiots." Bucky commented about his friends._

_When Steve took a seat, he began their conversation with a question. "How about you? You want to follow 'Captain America' into the jaws of death?"_

_"I don't know." Bucky replied. "Down way back from Brooklyn, I'm too dumb to run away from a fight. I'm following in."_

_Finally, Steve has completed his team, with his best friend Bucky filling in. But this is more like a conversation between friends; and they enjoy each other's company. When Steve turned to the right side, he saw a poster for a Captain America show. Of course, he was that guy._

_Then he commented, "It's kinda growing on me." And Bucky nodded in agreement._

_The other 4 stopped their merrymaking a bit when they saw an unexpected guest. It was none other than a beautiful woman who wears a red dress. For them, she was a sight to behold. And that woman is none other than Peggy Carter. Steve knows that she's a beauty, but Bucky's jaw dropped a bit since this was his first time seeing her._

_"Captain." Peggy called._

_"Agent Carter." He also greeted._

_Bucky also wanted to greet her yet he also stayed calm. "Ma'am."_

_"Howard had some equipment for you to try, tomorrow morning." Peggy told Steve._

_"Sounds good." The man in uniform remarked, hearing the good news._

_As Peggy turned to Bucky, it seems both guys are loss for words to the beauty of the said British agent. Then Peggy noted, "It seems your top squad is ready for duty."_

_Then Bucky turned again on Peggy and asked, "Do you enjoy music?" telling her the piano music as a background._

_"I do, actually." She answered. But on the contrary, she is just ignoring Bucky. "I might join dancing when the war is over."_

_"Then what are we waiting for?" Bucky said, still unknowingly ignored._

_"The right partner." Peggy mouthed. And still, she's talking to Steve. "You should be there tomorrow at 0800, Captain."_

_"Yes, Ma'am. I'll be there." He answered as Peggy left. Bucky sarcastically remarked and slightly chuckled. "I'm invisible, I'm...I'm turning into you. It's like some horrible dream."_

_"We'll take this all right. Maybe she's got a friend." Steve said, patting Bucky on the shoulder._

* * *

><p>When hearing this, BRS can't help but to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter. She thought that Bucky wanted to have a date with Peggy, but he's more like a statue to the whole conversation back there.<p>

"You're stifling yourself, eh?" Steve noted.

"Oh come on." BRS retorted. "Can't believe that Bucky was hilarious!"

Steve rolled his eyes yet when he thought about it; sometimes it's funny to think about. When he was a frail, skinny man back then, his best friend is the ladies man, especially when they were at the Expo back home. But with his new body, even the girls will love her. But he's no ladies man since he's reluctant on dealing with women. But Peggy is an exception.

Clearing her throat a bit, BRS wanted to ask. "So then, what happened next?" As Steve wanted to continue, he noticed that the teen have wandered her eyes off and she had a stare.

"Is something wrong?" The American inquired.

"Well, I'm just curious." She replied as she walked off from the bench and went on the other side, where Cap's shield was placed there. When Steve saw this, he could tell that the Otherworlder wanted to take a look at his shield, with great interest. She picked it up and she was impressed on its features: the shield was made of metal yet the design struck her in awe, noting the colors of the American flag.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" BRS heard Steve as he approached the girl. The girl turned as she saw Steve coming to her.

"This is really your signature weapon, same as my Rock Cannon." BRS noted.

"You can say that." Steve shrugged.

"What's this made of?" the teen asked.

"Vibranium." Sharon answered as she approached the two while holding some sort of device, which is to be used later. Then she goes on. "It's a metal like no other. Stronger than steel, three times the weight. It's completely vibration-absorbent. Another substance called adamantium, which is harder than vibranium, but it's man-made. Vibranium is more like a natural substance, but very unique since it's almost impossible to destroy due to its vibration-absorbing capabilities." Sharon continued of her info. "Vibranium deposits are located in an African kingdom called Wakanda."

"Oh." BRS was still in awe. She knew about elements and minerals like gold, silver and others in the real world. But she never has seen this kind of metal before. Then she turned to Sharon. "And hey, is there a kingdom called Wakanda?"

"There is." Steve nodded. "Too cut the story short, Wakanda isolated itself until the 1960s, where they opened to the rest of the world and made vibranium their valuable resource for the advancement and modernization of their kingdom. To them, vibranium is as valuable as gold."

Good thing that BRS understood all the info. On the contrary, she hatched an idea. "Hmm… I was curious. Let's try this one…"

She threw the shield to Cap and jumped away a few miles and summoned her Rock Cannon. She pointed it at the American.

"Oh wait a sec. I don't think this is a good idea." Sharon disagreed as she stepped away, feeling that something may not be good will happen. But she saw Steve preparing to defend himself, using his vibranium shield.

"Don't worry, Sharon. This is just a test run." Steve assured to her.

"Whatever. Don't complain if something bad will happen after this," The blonde shrugged.

Hearing this, Steve just shunned it and prepare for the worst. Black Rock Shooter began firing her Rock Cannon in 5 shots. Steve held up with his shield and successfully blocked all 5 shots. She jawdropped a bit of what she saw. Cap's shield _is_ something.

"It _is_ unbreakable." BRS commented on the outcome.

"I told ya." Steve chuckled.

"Yo, Rocky Shot." Sharon called out yet the girl raised her eyebrow on what she has called her; she mentally chuckled instead. "I wanna show you something."

As BRS is curious about what Sharon is about to show her, the American agent on the other hand turned on the device she was carrying. It's more like an advanced computer device. Sharon set up the said device by turning it on and re-attaching the monitor. She made a few touches, making slight adjustments on the gadget. When she finished configuring, she went to Rock and explained, "This gadget you see right now is more than just an ordinary laptop. This contains all the information from our database. Other intel was not shown here since most of them are top secret and it's confidential." Then she ordered, "Alright, open up the database by touching both hands on the screen, it's like 'opening' it."

"Okay." She nodded. Then she went to the gadget Sharon held, and she pressed the screen gently with both hands. Keeping her calm, she waved both hands as she 'opened' the database. She marveled at the sight she saw. It was none other than a series of video reels of Captain America's missions during the Second World War with all the intel, debriefing and other stuff, all in hologram form. Then she knew that humans in the real world can have a technology like this, although not as more advanced in her own world.

All BRS said was, "Whoa."

* * *

><p>It was 7:30 in the evening. Kuroi Mato was sitting in her desk doing her assignments. Of course every student does that; for the hardworking, laziness is not a part of their vocabulary but for Mato being a sports girl, laziness is her greatest obstacle. Good thing that she finished eating dinner so she had energy left for her brain. Of course, she needs it.<p>

But something's bothering her. Something that is troublesome, even a bit in her view. She couldn't take off about what happened a week ago. And that is none other than being kidnapped. She was unconscious back then, but she only knew a few details from her mom and her friends, that told her it was an American who brought her home. But what if that will happen again?

But something came to her mind: it's Black Rock Shooter. Good thing is that she, along with Dead Master and others, are the only few Other Selves that can live with humans like them. Not only she's a friend but also a protector. But she was impressed on the state of BRS right now in terms of living a normal life: the blue-eyed girl can live and sustain herself and can play well with other people around her. She smiled about the fact, but still, she was bit worried for her. What if it's too much for her? Or something more?

"_Black Rock Shooter, can you hear me? I hope you're ok…"_

* * *

><p>Back at the rooftop, BRS have watched the video reels, which is they were seen in 4 different holographic screens. All of these reels feature all of Captain America's missions and even propaganda films featuring the Sentinel of Liberty. But the only reel that gets her attention is the Super Soldier's missions with the Howling Commandos, who are his comrades-in-arms, especially with his best friend, Bucky. BRS watched closely as the Howling Commandos moved forward on the assault on every HYDRA base. From blowing up factories, daring raids, taking the lead with other soldiers to even destroying key points like super weapons. In addition, Steve even explained more about Howard Stark being an inventor and a weapons specialist, citing him that he is the one who made his first uniform and of course, his famed vibranium shield. On the other hand, the Howling Commandos were the best men that Cap had in command, and they were very close with each other, like brothers. With this, the Howling Commandos are one of the most elite groups the Allies had during the war.<p>

As she continued to watch, BRS started to speak. "I can't believe these guys are amazing."

"Cool, isn't it?" Sharon told the girl. "Here's the thing: you got 5 Americans, 1 British, 1 French. And there you have it."

"Sharon, race isn't an issue." Steve retorted. "What matters is we're fighting for what is right back then; no matter what nation or a group you came from."

"Oh wait." Sharon curled her lip a bit, pointing her finger at Steve. "You and Bucky are both New Yorkers while you were born with parents who are Irish immigrants. Dugan is a circus guy; Gabe Jones is an African-American, while Morita is a Japanese-American."

As BRS heard Morita's name, which is Japanese, she pointed on the screen featuring one of the famed Commandos. "That Morita guy is Japanese?" She said in curiosity. "All I know is that Japan was part of the Axis powers during WWII. Am I correct?"

"You're right." Steve affirmed. "It was Japan who propelled the United States to enter the war against the Axis. It all started at Pearl Harbor. But it's not the fault of the Japanese people after all. Actually, the fault belongs to their leaders."

The girl nodded in silence as she kept her ears open. She knew that Japan back then was the aggressor along with Germany and Italy and it was ruled by dictators. She fully understands why Captain America is fighting during that war: fighting for freedom.

Then Steve continued. "And you must know that there are also Japanese immigrants in the US. Most of them are from the western part like California and even Hawaii. These Japanese immigrants were given opportunity to live in America, but something happened to them. And it's not good at first."

"What do you mean?" BRS inquired.

"A few days after Pearl Harbor was attacked, anti-Japanese sentiment was spread across the country, fearing of acts of sabotage from these Japanese-Americans. So they present a solution by forcibly relocating them, but they were never received cruel treatment like the Germans or any other Axis nation."

"Oh. It seems nothing bad had happened to them. So, what did they do to those Japanese-Americans?" BRS said.

"Well, guys like Jim Morita were volunteered as part of the US Armed Forces. They were known as the 'Nisei'." Steve continued.

"Nisei. It means 'second generation'." BRS recalled.

"Correct." Steve nodded. He looked on the screen again. "For me, these Japanese-Americans were given a chance to live in America. They were given an opportunity to share the 'Dream'. They said that the Nisei are fighting for the United States. But for me, they're fighting for the cause of freedom. They were heroes."

BRS heard Steve's words very well. It tells her on the American's admiration to the Japanese-Americans. Shaking off her head, snapping her stupor, BRS raised her voice a bit. "Hey, aren't you gonna finish your story?!"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Steve chuckled. "Well, well, it seems we left in at the bar scene. Even I explained about my shield and my uniform since I had a conversation with Howard Stark. Does that count?"

"Enough for me, Captain." Black Rock Shooter shrugged.

As he leaned on the fence, Steve let out a sigh as he looked up. "It's really hard for me to tell you this. But it's better for me to summarize it for you. In fact," he lowered his head down as he completes his sentence. "…that is very painful for me. My best friend, Bucky. He died."

"Wh-what!?" BRS opened her mouth in silence. Yet, she was shocked. In fact, she's in loss for words when she heard this.

Sharon saw some discomfort as she approached. "Steve, I think it is better if you-"

He raised his hand as he stopped. "It's alright, Sharon. I can handle this." And she nodded, saying "If you say so."

Then BRS approached him, leaning in the chainlink fence. "Don't worry, Steve. It's alright."

"Okay." Steve sighed as he began to continue. "We began our operation on chasing Arnim Zola as he was in a train. We all know it's a dangerous one, but the key is to capture Zola since he is the Red Skull's top scientist and right-hand man. Bucky and I lead the way as the other Commandos followed. We encountered some strong hostility yet we managed to beat those guys. We successfully capture Zola, but Bucky died. He was not shot, actually. He fell to a cliff."

A thought just entered BRS's mind as she asked. "Did you blame yourself when Bucky died?"

"Maybe." He answered. "I tried to grab his hand. And then… he fell. I failed to save my best friend."

"I am… sorry for your loss. I didn't mean it to hurt you or anything." BRS said with a sad look. She felt some pity for the guy.

"That's ok, kid." Steve patted BRS's head. "I can't even blame you."

"So what happened after that?" BRS asked.

"We found out all the info about HYDRA's last base through our interrogation with Zola. And me? I was trying to have a drink…"

* * *

><p><em>Steve found himself in an abandoned house which was in ruins due to bombardment. He sat there and he was trying to drink whiskey. He felt melancholy on the loss of his best friend so maybe a drink can do. The old quote of 'Having a drink can drown all of your sorrows' can make sense if you're a drunkard. But Steve wasn't that kind of guy. Yet he tried to.<em>

_Peggy walked and she approached him. She knows about his situation. Those two New Yorkers were very close to each other so she was there to give him some comfort. Steve noticed that it was Peggy and he began to let out his distraught._

_"Dr. Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means, um...? I can't get drunk." Then he turned to the British agent, who is also his first love. "Did you know that?"_

_"Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person. He thought it could be one of the side effects." Peggy told her in response. As she is now referring to Bucky's supposed death, she began to speak. "It wasn't your fault."_

_"Did you read the reports?" Steve inquired._

_She answered. "Yes."_

_"Then you know that's not true." He said, believing that maybe Bucky is still alive._

_Peggy asked in a calm tone. "Did you believe in your friend? Did you respect him?" Then Steve nodded silently._

_"Then stop blaming yourself. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it." She told Steve. When he heard this, she has a point after all. Soldiers who fought in a war would expect danger since their lives are hanging in a balance, all for the sake for protecting their country. Steve knew that his father died in the battlefield, but the death of a best friend who grew up with him can be considered a sad loss for him. One word rings in his mind on what Bucky did: sacrifice. He realized that sulking in a corner wouldn't solve anything._

_Through this, he had a new resolve. "I'm goin' after Schmidt. I'm not gonna stop till all of HYDRA is dead or captured."_

_And he heard Peggy's comforting words. "You won't be alone."_

* * *

><p>"'You won't be alone'. That's what Peggy told me. And it lifted me up." Steve recalled.<p>

"And that means you're now moving on, right?" BRS

"Yes. And to take down Schmidt once and for all." Steve answered. Then he continued. "That's what we are planning as we went to our mission briefing the next day…"

* * *

><p><em>"Johann Schmidt belongs in a bug house. He thinks he's a god and he's willing to blow half the world to prove it, starting with the U.S.A." Col. Philips began his briefing with all SSR members present, including the Howling Commandos and Steve himself. All of them wanted the same thing: to bring down HYDRA once and for all and to win this war. But what was left is how are they gonna do it.<em>

_Then Howard Stark commented. "Schmidt's working with powers beyond our capabilities. He gets across the Atlantic; he will wipe out the entire eastern sea board in an hour."_

_Gabe Jones stepped in as he tried to ask. "How much time we got left?"_

_"According to my new best friend, twenty four hours." Col. Philips answered, citing the information he got from Arnim Zola. It seems that it was a race against time so they don't need to rush but careful planning. Then Philips continued while he's holding a photo. "HYDRA's last base is here. In the Alps, five hundred feet below the surface."_

_"So, what are we supposed to do? I mean, it's not like we can just knock on the front door." Jim Morita objected._

_But Steve came up with an answer with an unwavering will. "Why not? That's exactly what we're gonna do."_

* * *

><p>"So you're going on all out, eh?" BRS inquired.<p>

"Yes. All by myself." Steve nodded.

"Wait, all by yourself!?" She exclaimed.

"Hey, we're on the same level, if you know what I mean." The soldier slyly said.

"Oh wait a sec! Are you saying that you're better than me?" BRS raised her voice.

"Hey, I'm not saying that. To be honest, I just went to the base and managed to beat them. But I was captured."

"Heh, Super Soldier guy gets captured." The girl snickered.

"Don't underestimate me. Actually, it was all part of the plan. Some sort of a distraction." Steve recounted. "Let's just say, I am leading the charge. But there's a reason why I got captured."

"And what's that?" the Otherworlder asks.

Steve closed his eyes and he became stern. "I need to confront the Skull."

* * *

><p><em>Captain America has been captured. He was bound by HYDRA soldiers; one of them is carrying his vibranium shield. They marched into the Red Skull's lab and at last, they meet again. For Steve, it's an opportunity to give him a piece of his mind and finally, end the Skull's terror. Cap managed to keep his calm demeanor as the Skull approached him in a triumphant mood.<em>

_"Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait, but I must say you do it better than anyone." Schmidt commended, seemingly impressed on Steve's resilience." But there are limits to what even you can do, Captain. Or did Erskine tell you otherwise?"_

_Steve, still on his calculated eyes, answered. "He told me you were insane."_

_The Red Skull snorted with cold mood. "Ah. He resented my genius and tried to deny me what was rightfully mine. But he gave you everything." And now the madman asks him. "So, what made you so special?"_

_Then Steve answered with a smirk. "Nothing. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn."_

_Steve's answer has infuriated Schmidt, punching him in the face then to the gut. He was in disbelief that this American, who has the Super Soldier serum, still has his humbleness intact. For the Red Skull, power is everything and for those who seek power should take it by any means necessary. Compassion and humbleness have no place for it since it signifies weakness._

_Steve was beaten and fell to his knees. While he still catches his breath, he stood up and looks on Schmidt's eyes in defiance. "I can do this all day."_

_Then Red Skull draws his Tesseract-powered pistol and points at Steve. "Oh, of course you can. Of course. But unfortunately I am on a tight schedule."_

_Then he responded. "So am I."_

* * *

><p>"And suddenly, my team came and made a surprise attack on the weapons lab, beating up a couple of bad guys. The Red Skull had no choice but to escape and made his ways to his plane. And that is the signal and the other men followed suit, beginning our assault. Good thing that I got my shield back."<p>

"So what happened next?"

"To cut the story short, well, I continued my pursuit on the Red Skull. With the help of Peggy and others, I reached his plane as he makes his way to escape. To summarize it, it's action-packed." He chuckled, especially he remembered the time that Steve and Peggy kissed each other and the 'I'm not kissing ya!' remark from Col. Philips. "Luckily, I made in it inside. Still, I managed to beat some troops; I even stopped a bomb." He continued.

"A bomb?" BRS inquired.

"He's right." Sharon added. Still the device that she carried is still on, she waved her hand on the screen and showed Schmidt's aircraft, showing it to BRS. Then she showed the specs and weaponry, including "Actually, Schmidt's aircraft also have bombs as part of arsenal. But it's more like a bomb that has the mechanisms of an aircraft. It's more like a piloted bomb."

"Like a suicide bomber?" BRS inquired.

"More like an advanced version of the _kamikaze_ weapon during that time." Steve added. "Luckily, I stopped it."

"Did it crashed?"

"Yeah, sort of. But it didn't reach impact so it didn't explode. It's like that I made a safe landing." Steve noted. "Now, moving on. I went to the cockpit of the said plane, and then… our fight has begun."

* * *

><p><em>As Captain America walks around the whole area, a Tesseract-powered rifle fired upon. With great reflexes, he defended himself by using his shield. It was none other than the Red Skull himself. At last, this is their supposedly final confrontation.<em>

_"You don't give up, do you!?" he mused._

_"Nope!"_

_Schmidt continued the fire, but Steve dashed forward, blocking every shot. Then he knocked away the rifle from the HYDRA leader, and then a fight occurs between the two. Strength against strength. They exchanged blows, punches and kicks everywhere. For Schmidt, he has an advantage because not only he has superhuman strength but he had an intellectual mind, using his brains in order to take down his opponent. Cap may not as smart as the Red Skull, but he also has a weapon aside from his strength: his unwavering will. He knows that he wasn't alone after all. He fights not just for his friends but also for one principle that made America the great nation it once was: freedom. The Axis are the aggressors, Japan propelled the US into the war. If Captain America can defeat the Red Skull, not only they will destroy HYDRA but win the war for those who love the fruits of liberty and freedom. Not just America, but every nation. Everyone._

_They continued their fistfight until they accidentally pull down a switch that send them floating as the plane is. Not until Red Skull reached the controls and activated the autopilot. Steve landed safely gets up while Schmidt prepares his Tesseract-powered pistol. And he began to spout words as he fired his gun._

_"You could have the power of the gods! Yet you wear a flag on your chest and think you fight a battle of nations!" He continued firing while Cap covered himself. The Skull didn't even understand why Captain America chose to be patriotic than to be a god. Then he continued "I have seen the future, Captain! There are no flags!"_

_And Steve threw back defiantly. "Not my future!"_

_Then he dashed and dodged the shots until he finally reached his shield. After he blocked an energy shot, Steve threw it to Schmidt. It was a direct hit, knocking down the madman. But because of the strong force of the shield, he also caused the machinery that empowering the Tesseract to malfunction, opening it. And a surge of energy engulfed the whole area._

_"What have you've done?" the Skull said._

* * *

><p>"Then he got a hold on it and it because of its tremendous power, he disappeared from nowhere. And the Tesseract sunk into the Arctic Ocean."<p>

BRS got a hold of the holographic form of the Tesseract as she studied it. It's more like a glowing cube for her, but when Sharon explained all of it, according to some S.H.I.E.L.D. files. But Steve knows all of it, but he tells Sharon that he will tell BRS about for some quite time.

Looking to Steve, BRS tried to guess. "You defeated the Red Skull and you tried to stop the plane crashing."

"Yes." The Super Soldier answered. "But there was a great price."

* * *

><p><em>"Steve, is that you? Are you alright?"<em>

_Steve heard it was Peggy who was on the radio. Then he answered. "Peggy! Schmidt's dead."_

_Peggy was relieved about this, but she is a bit worried since he needs to get out of there. "What about the plane?"_

_"That's a little bit tougher to explain." Steve said to her._

_Still hopeful, Peggy finds a suggestion. "Give me your coordinates, I'll find you a safe landing site."_

_But Steve answered. "There's not going to be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down."_

_This makes Peggy worries went up. When she heard this, there is a possibility that he can die." I'll get Howard on the line; he'll know what to do."_

_"There's not enough time." Steve called out "This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York." And he is referring to Schmidt's plane. And he is still speaking through the plane's control. Then he continued. "I gotta put her in the water."_

_Peggy pleaded. "Please, don't do this. We have time. We can work it out."_

_"Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice." That is his answer. Steve will do whatever it takes so innocent people can't be hurt, even his life was on at stake. As he's forcing the plane down towards the water, he began his final conversation with Peggy._

_He called out again. "Peggy?"_

_" I'm here." She answered._

_"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance."_

_Upon hearing this, she began to form tears in her eyes. " Alright. A weak, next Saturday, at the Stork Club._

_" You got it." Steve said in response._

_"Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late! Understood?" She need to stand firm and tried to stop the tears. But she is still hoping._

_" You know, I still don't know how to dance." Said Steve._

_But Peggy assured him. "I'll show you how. Just be there."_

_"You'll have the band play somethin' slow." Steve told her. "I'd hate to step on your..."_

* * *

><p>"….then everything went black..."<p>

Seeing this, Sharon began to speak. "The plane crashed in the Arctic. Fortunately, it didn't explode. Most of it became frozen because of the Arctic ice. But Steve was also frozen in the ice. For decades. Many have thought that Captain America 'died'. But that sacrifice wasn't in vain. And guess what: the rest is history. The Allies won the war and everyone is celebrating." Then she continued after she closed her eyes and sighed. "But as for Aunt Peggy and her friends, it was a great loss for them. They lost a great hero. Someone like Captain America. But…"

"…something unexpected happened." BRS turned to Steve as he continued. "You would never believe this, but it's a very long time… that I had my sleep."

"You're frozen on ice, but you didn't die." BRS guessed.

"You're right, Shooter." Sharon answered. "Actually, he went into a process called suspended animation. It is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. It's more like preserving a body without decay or aging. The Super Soldier serum helps to make that process work."

"Oh, so that's why he's still has that body… and still alive." BRS commented as she turned back to Steve. Yes, he's still his serum-powered body, but a realization hit her as she looked on the American's eyes: there is a bit of sadness in it. "Uh, Steve. I think you're sad."

"Maybe." Steve calmly said. "Confusion. Shock. Bewilderment. Those are the things that I will never forget when I remember that day. The day that I woke up… after 70 years of deep slumber…"

* * *

><p><em>Steve has finally opened his eyes slowly. He turned around and checked on the room. For him, he was in the hospital, lying on the bed. He gets up and sat on it, then again he looked around the room. And he saw an old 1940s radio, covering up a baseball game. Then moments later, an agent from S.H.I.E.L.D., disguised as a 1940s officer, entered the room and greeted him.<em>

_"Good morning. Or should I say afternoon."_

_Then he asked. "Where am I?"_

_"You're in a recovery room in New York City." The agent replied._

_But there is a mood change from calm to suspicious. He looked around, he heard the old radio, and now he saw the woman. He asked again. "Where am I really?"_

_She answered hesitantly, trying to maintain her cover. "I'm afraid I don't understand."_

_His suspicions grew even more. "The game, it's from May, 1941. I know, because I was there." He gets up from the bed and approached the woman. "Now, I'm gonna ask you again. Where am I?"_

_"Captain Rogers?"_

_"Who are you!?" Steve raised his voice._

_Then the agent pushed the button on her device and it blinked red. And suddenly, other agents entered the room, dressed in black. Steve senses danger. And he beats the guards and runs away._

* * *

><p>"And I continued to run as far as I can. Far away from those people. Until I went to Times Square and I was surround by some cars. And as I look around, I thought… It's feels surreal. Weird. A very different New York City. Everything is new for me. Until someone called me out…"<p>

* * *

><p><em>"At ease, soldier!"<em>

_Steve turned around and saw a man, who is a bald African-American. He sports a black coat and wears an eyepatch in his left eye. For Steve, maybe this man will finally have all the answers._

_"Look, I'm sorry about that little show back there, but… we thought it's best to break it to you slowly." The mysterious man said._

_Then he inquired, though he had an uneasy feeling. "Break what?"_

_"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost seventy years." That was the man's answer._

_Now Steve couldn't believe what he had heard. He still looks at the man in shock. Not just the man but everything around him. Seventy years. It's very, very long…_

* * *

><p>"And that someone is none other than Nick Fury." Steve cited the mysterious man.<p>

Then Sharon gave BRS some tidbit as she spoke to her. "Actually, Nick Fury is the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. In other words, he's my boss."

"I see." BRS nodded.

Then Steve sighed. "No wonder why I was called 'A Man Out of Time'. When I found the whole truth, I was thinking 'Are all my friends are dead? All the people I knew? Where are they?'" Then Steve stood up and walked a bit into one of the edges of the fence, overlooking the city of Tokyo. He looked on the modern city of the nation was once an enemy of America during WWII. "It seems that this country has changed a lot, then so does the world. I was saddened at first because all of I knew were gone. I was thinking that I should've died with them, but that won't work… I moved forward."

He continued. "Life is like a battle. There are times that you're defeated; there are times that you're victorious. But the greatest victory is you can die living life to the fullest. The war that I'm facing right now is not about nations anymore. It's more on principles and forces that are unseen, just like HYDRA. Well, I'm maybe a soldier, but a soldier for the American people. And for the whole world."

"Wait a minute." BRS approached him. "Does it bother you about wearing something red, white and blue that resembles a flag?"

"Why'd you ask?" Steve questioned.

"I felt that's kinda… weird."

He chuckled instead and patted BRS in the head, amused. "Well, well, kid. It seems I need to tell you something. There is some guy, who is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent like Sharon and very serious about his job. But what really makes me smile about the fact that he was a fan of mine. And about the suit? He told me that the world needs a little more… old-fashioned."

"To put it simply, the world still needs Captain America. He's the world's first superhero, if you put it that way. Even the costume." Sharon added.

"World's first superhero, eh? Kinda neat." BRS nodded.

"So, that concludes my story." Steve wrapped it. And then he looked at the time. It was 8:45 pm. "Kid, it seems you need to go home. You have classes tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. But I just want to hear more from you…" BRS told the soldier, eyes looking down.

"C'mon kid, don't be such a sad little lady." Steve cheered her up. "We can still have much time to talk everything… maybe after our job here is done. Let's see what I can do. But I won't make any promises."

Then Rock lifted her face and smiled. "Well, who knows?"

As the three went outside, they said their good as Rock went to her scooter. As she starts the engines, Steve went into her.

"Wait, may I ask you something?" Steve asked.

"What?" She responded.

"What should I call you by name?"

There is some ire on what she heard. "Ok, you can call me 'Black Rock Shooter or 'Rock'. Either way."

"How about 'Stella'?" Steve suggested.

When she heard that, she responded in a calm but good manner. "You know, you're the second person who called me by that name."

"Really? She's a friend of yours?" He asked.

"Yes." She said.

"I wanna tell you something. It makes sense if you put it. And it really fits you. That's because it's the Latin word for _star." _Steve explained.

'_Star.' _She mumbled. Then a smile formed on her lips when someone told her about stars and it was none other than Shizuka herself, one of her human friends and her first human mentor. As she looked up again at the starry night sky, something that reminds her from her mentor: that stars are beautiful and they are shining brightly in the night sky. And another thing that she wouldn't forget… is that she was described as one, but more brighter.

"All right." She turned to Steve. "You can call me Stella."

"So everything's in place." He declared. "Well, be careful." And see ya." He said with a good bye.

BRS nodded and smirked. "Aye aye… Captain." Then Steve mused. And she went on her way home after revving up her scooter.

"Stella, huh?" Sharon came over.

"Yeah. That's better than calling a name based from an object." Steve affirmed.

"Wait, can she shoot rocks?" Sharon blurted in sarcasm.

Then Steve laughed at Sharon's joke. "Hey, you got me! I can't believe that you can have some sense of humor."

Sharon shrugged in response.

"Well, let's get back home. We need some rest for tomorrow." Sharon told the soldier.

"Yeah, I know. We got a lot of work to do." He nodded.

Then Sharon nodded as she returned to the apartment. Before he headed back, Steve remembered something as he looked up…

* * *

><p><em>"You gonna be ok?"<em>

_"Yeah. Yeah, I just…. I have a date."_

* * *

><p>'<em>Right. I'm gonna be ok.' <em>And he began to head back to his home.

_**Saya's apartment**_

Saya Irino can't sleep at the moment. She woke up from a strange dream, trying to catch her breath and sweat is dropping from her head. She had an uneasy feeling. She felt something's wrong. And it's not good.

"Gold Saw…" she muttered.

* * *

><p>So this chapter ends with a cliffhanger so I'll keep working on it. Now, what caught my interest are these news and announcements about everything Marvel-related:<p>

-_Iron Man 3_ and_ Thor: The Dark World_ will hit screens next year.

-Crossbones confirmed for _Captain America: The Winter Soldier._

_-_Stan Lee confirms _Dr. Strange, Black Panther._

-An _Ant-Man _is in the works.

-A S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series will starts its filming next year.

Oh, aside from writing this, I'm also playing Marvel: Avengers Alliance on Facebook, which is one of the reasons for, well... you know. XD But anyways, it helps on making ideas.

So read and review. And I'll see you guys later!


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